On July 24, 2009, Congress set the federal minimum wage at $7.25 per hour. It has not been raised again since.

Because wages are not tied to inflation, minimum wage workers across the United States often see their purchasing power reduced year after year, and a wage that was “livable” in 2009 is not enough to survive in 2024. , Vice President Kamala Harris advocated raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour during an interview with NBC, calling the current rate “poverty wages.”

This November, voters in Alaska, California, Missouri and Massachusetts will decide on ballot measures to create higher minimum wages in their states. Between 1996 and 2023, there were 28 ballot measures nationwide proposing to increase the minimum wage, and only two were rejected.

In California, Proposition 32 would set the state minimum wage at $18 an hour, making it the minimum wage highest state minimum wage in the U.S. In his support of Proposition 32, the San Francisco Chronicle The editorial board noted that $18 per hour, while “still below the cost of living in the cheapest county in the state,” would nonetheless be a step in the right direction.

“Restaurant workers, delivery workers and home care workers are just a few of the more than 2 million workers who will benefit from Prop. 32,” wrote the “Yes on Prop. 32” group that supports the initiative. “People who work full time should be paid enough to live on and not have to take on second and third jobs just to keep a roof over their heads and feed their families.”

Joe Sanberg, a Los Angeles businessman and the committee’s chief funder, emphasized the urgency of an increase in an interview with NBC. “Millions of Californians work more than full time and still cannot afford the basic necessities of life,” he said. “We need to fix that and, by fixing it and raising wages, create economic prosperity that raises the tide for all Californians.”

In Massachusetts, voters will also consider additional wage protections for tipped workers. Traditionally, these workers rely on tips to supplement the minimum wage, which can lead to deductions from their paychecks. Question 5 would ensure that tipped workers receive the state minimum wage of $15 per hour—in addition to any tips earned—and would introduce a gradual wage increase for tipped workers.

A fair wage plus tips MA leads the initiative, highlighting the decline of workers in the state’s restaurant industry. “Thousands of tipped workers in Massachusetts are leaving the restaurant industry and are unwilling to return without One Fair Wage, and nearly 250 Massachusetts employers are now paying One Fair Wage to recruit staff and seek a level playing field.”

Missouri and Alaska are also voting on initiatives that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The referendum would also mandate paid sick leave for workers, which was previously at the discretion of individual employers.

Alaska Ballot Measure 1 continues the tradition of a long history of progressive labor laws in the state. After being the first state to pass a minimum wage higher than the federal requirement, Alaska maintained the highest rate for more than 30 years. In addition to raising the minimum wage, the measure would also prohibit employers from forcing employees to participate in meetings about religion and politics unrelated to their jobs.

In Missouri, Proposition A would require employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked and would increase wages to $15 an hour by 2026. The last time wages were increased in Missouri was in 2018 with Proposition B, which was approved with more than 62 percent of the votes.

“As a working parent, I understand what it means for my child to get sick, and I have to call and ask myself what that means for my job and my safety,” Missouri state Rep. Crystal Quade said during a conference. gubernatorial debate in September sponsored by the Missouri Press Association. “I’ve had good jobs, but not everyone has that affordability where their employer is flexible with them.”

Read the rest of StudentNation’s dispatches on the 2024 elections here.

Can we count on you?

In the upcoming election, the fate of our democracy and fundamental civil rights are on the ballot. The conservative architects of Project 2025 are planning to institutionalize Donald Trump’s authoritarian vision at all levels of government if he wins.

We have already seen events that fill us with both fear and cautious optimism. The Nation has been a bulwark against misinformation and an advocate for bold, principled perspectives. Our dedicated writers sat down with Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders for interviews, analyzed JD Vance’s shallow right-wing populist appeals, and debated the path to a Democratic victory in November.

Stories like these and the one you just read are vital at this critical time in our country’s history. Now more than ever, we need insightful, deeply informed independent journalism to make sense of the headlines and separate fact from fiction. Donate today and join our 160-year legacy of speaking truth to power and elevating the voices of grassroots advocates.

Through 2024 and what is likely to be the defining election of our lifetimes, we need your support to continue publishing the insightful journalism you rely on.

Thank you,
The editors of The Nation

Aina Marzia

Aina Marzia is a writer from El Paso, Texas, who covers intersectional politics, and an incoming freshman at Princeton University. His work has been seen in The Nation, teen fashion, Insider business information, The New Republic, The new arab, The daily beast, The American perspectiveand Grindingand on NPR and elsewhere.

More than The Nation

How Nazi family policies seem to be the template for Trump’s abortion playbook.

Rebecca Donner

But he hopes no one notices as he tries to regain power.

Column

/

Alexis Grenell

The world’s richest man expects a significant return on his investment for his generous support of Trump’s campaign.

Jacob Silverman

The liberal political establishment has virtually abandoned organizing in rural communities. These campaigns are the key to keeping our democracy alive.

Chloe Maxmin and Woodward Canyon

A century after the Indian Citizenship Act made their ancestors American citizens and recognized their right to vote, Native Americans still face barriers to casting their ballot…

Gabriel Furshong