MassBudget: Backgrounder - Q&A about a $15 minimum wage

MassBudget Backgrounder Information. Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Democracy. Frequently Asked Questions about a $15 Minimum Wage MassBudget has released a new fact sheet that examines issues related to the introduction of a $15 minimum wage in Massachusetts. It covers the following questions: Who would be affected by a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour - their age and demographics? How big an increase would the average minimum wage worker receive? How are tipped workers like waiters covered under minimum wage laws, and how might they be affected by potential changes? How has the minimum wage rate and its value changed over time in Massachusetts? How has the relationship between wage growth and productivity growth changed in recent decades? Which other states and cities have enacted a $15 minimum wage? Read the new fact sheet HERE.   The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

In the News: Stony Brook Camera Club; minimum wage; now what for recreational marijuana

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The Stony Brook Camera Club of Franklin will present the program "Fine Art Photography and Mixed Media: Creative Inspiration" by Stephen Sheffield at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Anglican Church of the Redeemer, 31 Hayward St., Franklin. 

Sheffield, a native of the Boston area, is an alumnus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and mixed media. He went on to receive his Master of Fine Arts in photography and mixed media from the California College of the Arts in Oakland, studying directly under and working as assistant to Larry Sultan, as well as studying under Jean Finley, Jim Goldberg and others."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161222/stony-brook-camera-club-to-present-stephen-sheffield

"When the Massachusetts minimum wage increases to $11 per hour on Jan. 1, it will be among the highest in the nation, but that won't last long. 

"California and New York State have passed bills to raise their minimum wage to $15," said Andrew Farnitano, a spokesman for Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of labor unions, community organizations and religious groups advocating for a $15 minimum wage. "This is something where Massachusetts has historically been at or near the front of the country, and I think we're in danger of falling behind again if we don't continue to raise wages." 

Seven other states have plans to raise their minimum wages to even higher levels in the coming years, including New York, which will raise the hourly minimum wage for New York City to $13 next December, then to $15 effective Dec. 31, 2018. California's minimum wage will go to $11 in January 2018, then increase by $1 each year until hitting $15 in 2022."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161222/state-minimum-wage-increasing-to-11-in-new-year

"Voters in Massachusetts have legalized marijuana, but it will likely be more than a year before the first pot shops open in the state. 

In the meantime, there's a long to-do list for lawmakers and government officials and local officials. Following the Nov. 8 vote, policymakers will soon begin the process of implementing and regulating pot sales in the commonwealth, a process that could potentially see legislators alter the new law by enacting higher marijuana tax rates and adding regulations. On the local level communities like Marblehead are just beginning to wrap their heads around what legalization means for them. 

"It's not going to be a free for all," said Town Administrator John McGinn."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161222/marijuanas-legal-in-massachusetts-so-now-what

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Informational Seminar - Nov 16

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor issued its much-anticipated final rule changing the regulations for the so-called "white collar" exemptions under the FLSA, and significantly increasing the minimum salary level necessary for employees to be properly classified as exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees.

The final rule and its increased salary requirements will take effect on December 1, 2016. 

The new regulations will:

• Increase by slightly more than double the minimum salary level for exempt "white collar" employees from $455/week ($23,660/year) to $913/week ($47,476/year);
• Raise the highly compensated employee ("HCE") threshold from $100,000 to $134,004; and
• Automatically update every three years (1) the minimum salary level to the 40th percentile of full-time salaried workers in the lowest income region of the country; and (2) the HCE threshold to the 90th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally.

No exception is made for small businesses. The final rule does not make any changes to the duties tests for executive, administrative and professional employees. The final rule also allows for up to 10 percent of the minimum salary level for non-HCE employees to be met by non-discretionary bonuses, incentives, or commissions, if these payments are made on at least a quarterly basis.

As a practical matter, these changes to the "white collar" regulations mean higher wages to employees, higher wage costs for employers, and likely increased exposure and risk to employers in wage and hour cases.

On November 16, 2016 at 8:00 AM at Dean College in the Campanella Board Room in the Campus Center. Attorney Michael Doherty will examine upcoming changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act regulation, which will go into effect on December 1, 2016. The new regulations will have a significant impact on whether will be eligible to earn overtime pay or whether they will be considered "exempt". 

United Regional
Chamber of Commerce

The Department of Labor has estimated that the upcoming changes will affect approximately 4.2 million employees across the country. Program attendees will learn about the current status of the regulations, the factors governing whether an employee is considered exempt from overtime laws, how the current regulations will change on December 1, 2016, and what employers can do now to prepare for the changes.

For complete information and details, visit The United Regional Chamber of Commerce's website at www.unitedregionalchamber.org or call 508-222-0801.

• The US Dept of Labor page for the FLSA can be found here  https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa
• Original doc from 1938  https://templatelab.com/fair-labor-stand-act/

MassBudget: Labor Day report on the State of Working Massachusetts 2016

Study highlights trends facing workers and their families

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. State of Working Massachusetts: Wage earners saw gains last year, but haven't made up lost ground Hourly compensation for Massachusetts' low-wage workers rose by 7 percent from 2014-2015, buoyed by an increase in the minimum wage. A new report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, The State of Working Massachusetts, 2016 Edition, highlights wage gains among all income groups, but notes that low- and middle-income wages in Massachusetts and across the nation have barely grown for decades and remain lower than in 2009. While long-term national trends are troubling, the report found some good news locally: Massachusetts has both the nation's highest median wage and the best educated workforce (49 percent have a college degree). Looking across the country, the report finds that states with better-educated workforces consistently have higher-wage economies. Comparing cities and towns within Massachusetts shows the same close relationship between the wages and education levels. The wage growth we see among low-wage workers who are benefiting from the minimum wage increase reminds us of how important public policy can be in improving the economic well-being of working people and their families. The challenge for our Commonwealth is to develop policies that expand opportunity and raise wages for all of our people. The State of Working Massachusetts 2016 Edition also pinpoints several other Massachusetts economic data points, including: Wages in Massachusetts grew by 3 percent last year for the broad middle class; Other states with minimum wage increases also saw higher wage gains for low-income workers; Massachusetts job growth between 2007 and 2016 has been among the strongest in the nation; Child poverty rates in Massachusetts are below the national average and have begun to decline, but 1-in-7 children remain in poverty, a higher level than before the recession. Among adults without disabilities whose incomes were less than 125 percent of the poverty level, the vast majority (71 percent) work at least part-time. The link to the MassBudget report is here. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

MassBudget: Effects of a $15 minimum wage across Massachusetts and regionally

New study shows benefits by region, city

The Effects of a $15 Minimum Wage on Working People and Families in Massachusetts Phasing in an increase of the minimum wage to $15 by 2021 would boost the incomes of 29 percent of the Massachusetts workforce. MassBudget's new report analyzes the effect of such an increase across 52 regions in the state, finding that at least 15 percent of workers in every region of Massachusetts would see their wages rise, and in some regions more than 40 percent of wage earners would benefit. In addition to lower-income households, an increase of the hourly minimum wage to $15 would benefit many middle-income families. In some families one adult may make $30,000 a year or more while another works at a minimum wage job making $20,000.  That family isn't in poverty, but when anyone in that household gets a raise, it helps the family to pay for basic necessities and provide a better life for their children.  The report finds that statewide, a $15 minimum would increase the incomes of 22 percent of working parents - and 31 percent of all children in the state would benefit.    The statewide minimum wage is currently scheduled to rise to $11 per hour in 2017, meaning a full-time worker at the minimum wage will earn $22,880 next year. MassBudget's projections for the effects of a $15 minimum wage assume the current hourly minimum wage being increased by $1 per year until 2021.    The link to the MassBudget report is HERE. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

MassBudget: Data on New Year's Increases to State Minimum Wage and EITC

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Data on New Year's Increases to State Minimum Wage and Earned Income Tax Credit  This January 1st, two laws will take effect that will significantly improve the wages and incomes of working people in the Commonwealth. While wages for low and middle-income workers have been stagnant for decades, in the last two years the State Legislature and the Governor--responding to people organizing across the state--enacted laws increasing the state minimum wage and the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). On January 1st, the minimum wage will increase to $10 an hour. This is part of a scheduled set of increases that will bring the minimum wage up to $11 an hour in 2017. Going to $10 an hour will raise the wages of about 450,000 working people in the Commonwealth. For more information, please see MassBudget's factsheet The Effects of a $10 Minimum Wage in 2016. The state Earned Income Tax Credit will also increase on January 1st (from 15 percent of the federal credit to 23 percent), raising the incomes of roughly 440,000 households in the Commonwealth. In 2016, the maximum value of the state EITC will increase to $1,442, a gain of $502 over what it would have been ($940) if the EITC hadn't been increased. MassBudget's factsheet Massachusetts's Earned Income Tax Credit provides data on the direct effects of this increase and on the long-term effects on lower-income children when their family income improves. Town-by-town data on the number of people claiming the EITC is provided HERE. For more info on the minimum wage: MassBudget factsheet: The Effects of a $10 Minimum Wage in 2016  MassBudget factsheet: The Minimum Wage in Massachusetts: Challenges & Opportunities  MassBudget factsheet: The Regional Impact of an $11/Hour Minimum Wage  For more info on the EITC: MassBudget factsheet: Massachusetts's Earned Income Tax Credit  MassBudget description of EITC on Children's Budget website  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities paper: EITC and Child Tax Credit Promote Work, Reduce Poverty, and Support Children's Development, Research Finds  And for a description on why the minimum wage and EITC work well in tandem, please see this factsheet from MassBudget: Rewarding Work: The Minimum Wage and Tax Credits The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

MassBudget: A $15 Minimum Wage - Effects and Historical Context

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. A $15 Minimum Wage - Effects and Historical Context After several decades in which economic growth and productivity gains have not translated into wage growth for large segments of the labor force, policy makers are looking for strategies that can expand opportunity and raise wages for working people. One proposal in Massachusetts would set a minimum wage of $15 an hour for workers in fast food and big box retail businesses that have more than 200 employees. MassBudget's new report A $15 Minimum Wage - Effects and Historical Context looks at recent changes in wage and productivity growth and examines the current minimum wage in light of those trends. It also examines who would be affected by proposed increases for fast food workers. To read the full report, please click HERE. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108