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Increase the Minimum Wage

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE POSITION: SUPPORT

    ACTION: Ask State Representatives to vote YES and to co-sponsor HB 305.

                Talking Points: HB 305 Minimum Wage

MESSAGE LINE: 1-800-372-7181- EN ESPAÑOL 1-877-739-5556

HB 305/LM - J. Gray, R. Adkins, H. Collins, L. Combs, T. Firkins, C. Hoffman, D. Horlander, D. Keene, C. Miller, T. Riner, D. Sims, R. Wilkey, B. Yonts

     AN ACT relating to increasing the state minimum wage.
     Amend KRS 337.275 to increase the state minimum hourly wage to $7.00 an hour on the effective date of this Act; provide for further increase to federal minimum hourly wage rate if such rate exceeds the state minimum hourly wage rate; require, effective July 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, that the minimum hourly wage be adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index; abolish the tip credit allowed for employers and provide that tipped employees be paid the state minimum hourly wage; and require the Department of Labor to post the state minimum hourly wage level as adjusted on the department's Internet Web site.
 

     Feb 6-introduced in House
     Feb 7-to Labor and Industry (H)

The Catholic Conference of Kentucky is a member of the Kentucky Raise the Wage Coalition, a group advocating on behalf of those who are working at jobs paying less than $7.00 an hour.  The current rate of $5.15 an hour is immoral (see WITNESS, Fall 2006).

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Chapter Two focuses on love of neighbor as oneself. In Article 7 on the seventh commandment - You shall not steal - it contains the following paragraph:

 2434 A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice.²²¹ In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. " Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good."²²² Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages.

Please visit the special website set up by the Kentucky Raise the Wage Coalition for complete details on this campaign and for special legislative alerts.

Catholic Conference of Kentucky

1042 Burlington Lane

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

502-875-4345 502-875-2841 Fax cckstaffATccky.org

Last modified: April, 2008