President Obama called for a minimum wage hike in his State of the Union Address, but to hear Washington state Democrats tell it, wages aren’t the main concern: The real problem is the modern American workplace itself. The minimum wage in Washington state is already $9.32 an hour, more than two dollars an hour higher than the current federal minimum wage. So in an apparent effort to outdo the president, the Democrats in the state legislature would now like to force employers to pay workers that rate, even when they’re on vacation and not working.
The Democratic lawmakers’ website features a “Quote of the Day” from one of their own, Rep. Gael Tarleton, explaining the plight of today’s workers:
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Tarleton made the remarks in conjunction with the introduction of a bill that would make Washington state the first in the country to mandate paid vacation. Via KPLU:
Business groups are not pleased with the prospect of the bill becoming law:
The president said in his speech Tuesday that it’s time to “give America a raise.” The Washington state Democrats would like to add, “and a paid vacation, too.”
