Hearing on Proposed BIll to Increase Minimum Wage

FROM:             Barbara Madeloni, President, Erik J. Champy, Vice President          

SUBJECT:         Fight for $15 Minimum Wage – Hearing on Sept. 19

Greetings,

Please urge your members to attend a briefing and public hearing in Boston on Tuesday, Sept. 19, on two bills aimed at increasing the minimum wage in Massachusetts to $15 an hour.

The bills under consideration — H.2365 and S.1004 — include public school employees. Unbelievably, there are 30 districts where starting pay for Education Support Professionals is less than $11 an hour, and more than 100 districts where ESP wages start at less than $15 per hour.

We will start the day with a presentation and discussion at 9 a.m. at MTA’s office at 20 Ashburton Place, across the street from the State House. Members of MTA’s Government Relations Division will be available to discuss the legislation. Refreshments will be served.

At 10:30 a.m., Raise Up Massachusetts will hold a briefing for the media and legislative staff in Room 222 of the State House, followed by office visits to legislators. You and your members are invited to come along on these visits.

At 12 p.m., the hearing will begin in Gardner Auditorium before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.

While the hearing is taking place at an inconvenient time for many of our members, we assure you that our presence is important in demonstrating the urgency of this issue. We are hoping to see many of you and your members on Sept. 19. Let’s send a strong message to legislators that public school educators across Massachusetts support working families.

For additional information and to RSVP, e-mail Anthony Moreschi, MTA legislative specialist, at amoreschi@massteacher.org or call him at 617.878.8701.