Urging the General Assembly to pass legislation allowing cities of the first class to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, an essential step toward ensuring that all Philadelphians are able to keep up with the rising cost of living and have the opportunity to build a better future.

WHEREAS, Between creation of Pennsylvania’s minimum wage in 1968 and 1980, the General Assembly regularly increased in the minimum wage. Between 1981 and 1998, the Commonwealth had no changes in the minimum wage; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is one of only 20 states that has not raised its minimum wage from $7.25, which has been at this rate since 2009, leaving residents across the commonwealth unable to adjust to the increased cost of living for more than 15 years; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia is the most populated city in the Commonwealth, has the highest cost of living in the Commonwealth, and is one of the poorest cities in the country. Our current minimum wage as well as inability to set and regulate our own wages negatively and disproportionately impacts our constituents; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia City Council’s inability to regulate local wages is an anomaly among large cities nationwide, underscoring the need to create state-level policy to match our substantially larger constituency and higher cost of living compared with the rest of the Commonwealth. Without the legislative authority to regulate wages, Philadelphia remains dependent on the General Assembly to aid in our mission to promote economic prosperity for our residents; and

WHEREAS, More than 60 cities and counties nationwide have wage-setting authority independent from their state legislation, providing local policymakers with more agency in ensuring wages match the circumstances of their constituents. This allows local legislatures to be more responsive in meeting the financial needs of their constituents; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby urges the General Assembly to authorize first-class cities to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, empowering hardworking citizens to meet the rising cost of living.

End