COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio's minimum wage workers are earning 25 cents more per hour this year than last, but some lawmakers and policy analysts contend $8.55 an hour still isn’t enough.

A 2006 ballot measure set Ohio's minimum hourly wage at $6.85 and indexed it to inflation.

But Michael Shields, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, says that doesn't cover the cost of living for many families.

His group's latest research shows wage growth and economic growth are out of sync.

It means Ohio minimum wage workers earn 28 percent less than their counterparts in 1968, when wages were at their peak value.

"In Ohio, the most common jobs – the 10 jobs that employ the largest number of workers – six of those are paying a wage that's so low that people are dependent on food aid if they're supporting a family of three," Shields point out.

House Bill 34, introduced last week, calls for a $12 per hour wage floor in 2020, then a $1 bump each year until hitting $15 in 2023. A similar bill introduced last year didn't succeed.

Opponents argued that it would be costly for business and result in job losses.

Shields says the research is mixed, with most studies revealing little effect on overall job numbers.

"It's meaningful when we see wages increase and employers not responding by decreasing jobs,” he states. “What that means is that low-wage workers are already producing wealth for their employers and for the economy. They're just not bargaining for it successfully to capture their share of it."

Shields says about 1.5 million workers would directly benefit from a higher minimum wage, along with another 450,000 indirectly, as employers adjust their overall pay scales.

Shields adds that increased business costs due to higher wages are minimal. For example, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's lowest paid employees were given a 21 percent pay hike when the organization raised its minimum wage to $14 an hour in 2017. He says operating costs increased by just one-half of 1 percent.

"When we're looking at how this impacts organizations, how it impacts businesses, the
proportional benefit to folks who would be impacted by higher wages is much, much greater than the relative costs that employers are taking on to make this a reality," Shields points out.

The Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide and Amazon are among Ohio companies raising hourly pay to $15.

And last week, Illinois lawmakers approved a $15 minimum wage by 2024, similar to laws in California, Massachusetts and New York.

Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest, and funded in part by The George Gund Foundation.


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Restaurant workers have been fleeing the industry throughout the Great Resignation. To reverse the trend, advocates in Minnesota and elsewhere argued employees need better working conditions, and they hope pending policy will help.

The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United has been working to develop the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights. It seeks to provide livable wages, better access to health care, a safe work environment and participation in governance.

Justin Taylor, a committee member for the Minnesota chapter of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and a restaurant worker, feels it's a comprehensive approach to long-standing issues.

"I definitely, definitely think this will be a fantastic way to fight the injustices that the restaurant workers have seen for a real long time now," Taylor asserted.

The proposal will be introduced to Congress in September, and organizers say months of outreach to restaurant workers across the U.S. helped determine what should go into the bill. Minnesota has seen nearly 20,000 people leave their establishments for different jobs, according to a report from the University of California-Berkeley's Food Labor Research Center.

The exodus was due in part to the combination of low wages and rising prices during the pandemic. Taylor added the turnover has had a major effect, with those still working at restaurants having to pick up the slack. Some employers have improved their pay and benefits, but issues remain.

"Every restaurant right now is just chronically understaffed, and we're not getting paid for the work that we're doing," Taylor contended. "There's very few places that offer paid sick leave."

Aside from pay, Taylor said the governance factor in the legislative proposal, such as having more say in scheduling shifts, could be another important tool in improving the well-being of restaurant workers.

Restaurant workers have been fleeing the industry throughout the Great Resignation, with no end in sight.

In order to codify necessities for better working conditions, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United has been working to develop the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights. The set of rights seeks to provide restaurant workers with livable wages, better access to health care, a safe work environment and participation in governance.

Teo Reyes, chief program officer at Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, believes there's a need for this bill.

"The fundamental impetus for this is for us to bring workers together to build power," Reyes explained. "One of the milestones will be getting these bills introduced at a federal level in Congress, at the state level, and at a municipal level, and then advancing components of those as the opportunity presents itself."

This bill of rights will be introduced to Congress in September. Months of outreach to restaurant workers across the U.S. helped determine what should go into the bill.

New York's own restaurant industry has seen 120,000 people leaving for different jobs, according to a report from the University of California-Berkeley's Food Labor Research Center, due in part to low wages and rising prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In New York City, workers from any sector can see what they are entitled to under the city's Workers Bill of Rights.

Reyes believes the document will need to be updated to reflect the most current needs of restaurant workers. He shared some gripes workers had, providing a clear path on what changes should be made.

"It breeds a lot of unhealthy behaviors like excessive drinking and late-night eating," Reyes pointed out. "I'm not as healthy, and I miss large parts of the next day catching up on sleep. I think that restaurants should provide health care and dental care. People complained about rude customers, people complained about scheduling; like two weeks' notice to schedule even in a small business."

Not all the survey's answers were negative. Many of those surveyed praised their co-workers, and others felt it could be a highly lucrative industry, something Reyes hopes to maintain through establishing the bill of rights.

Too many Latinos are stuck in low-wage occupations, according to a new report, and some with darker skin face discrimination and an even steeper climb to the middle class.

Statistics show that about one-third of Nevada's population is Latino.

Jessica Vela, research assistant in tax and budget policy at the Center for American Progress, said many Latino workers, particularly those of Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Salvadoran descent, toil in low-paying industries such as hospitality or caregiving that are rife with labor violations.

"Hispanic and Latino workers make up a large part of the tipped worker population," she said. "Latinos are 17% of the overall workforce, but represent 24% of tipped employees."

The report noted that tipped workers often make sub-minimum wages, are at the mercy of the economy and were laid off by the millions during the pandemic. It also found that Hispanic men had the highest unemployment rate during COVID, followed by Hispanic women.

Vela noted that home care is one of the most common occupations for Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Salvadoran and Dominican women. She contended that all states should step in to require better working conditions.

"California signed a statewide agreement with Childcare Providers United to increase wage rates," she said. "They subsidized child-care slots, which can be incredibly helpful with many families needing to work."

Advocates are calling for a higher federal minimum wage and more grants to help people afford to go to college or a trade school. A report from Georgetown University found that Latinos make up about 37% of Nevada's college-age population but only about 29% of students at four-year colleges and 36% at community colleges.


Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.