You may have seen news coverage of the rallies taking place here in Connecticut and elsewhere by workers in certain industries seeking a $15 per hour wage increase. In particular, workers in the home care, child care, and fast food industries are speaking out to press for higher wages.

Jobs in these industries tend to be low paying jobs, sometimes forcing working families to have to take state aid in addition to their salaries in order to support their families. Research from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) shows that increasing wages to $15 per hour would have significant benefits for employers and have less serious effects on business than some claim.

There is a related bill at the Connecticut Legislature right now that would impose a fine on companies with more than 500 employees who fail to pay at least $15 per hour. The proposed fine is $1 per hour worked, and would raise revenue for the state.

If you would like to contact your legislator to urge him or her to vote for or against this bill- or advocate for a higher or lower minimum wage- take action! It’s important to make your views known and be heard. Find your legislator and his or her contact information here: www.cga.ct.gov