Official Statement of President Haynes on Passage of Minimum Wage Bill

"The leadership of the state legislature is to be congratulated for addressing the needs of workers and seeing this good compromise bill through to passage. While it was a long and arduous process, which is not yet complete, this minimum wage raise will improve the quality of life for workers across the Commonwealth. We thank the state legislature for standing with workers in this debate about properly compensating and respecting people's labor.

"Despite the efforts of Healey's House Republicans to block this bill these last few weeks, the state legislature persevered to get this raise done for workers. The minimum wage raise is now on Governor Romney's desk and it is up to him to give workers the raise they have been waiting for these last five and a half years. We urge the Romney/Healey administration to move swiftly and sign this bill into law so that workers can count on a raise come the New Year.

"If the Romney/Healey administration does as it should do and signs this bill, Massachusetts can once again be proud of our minimum wage. Organized labor has always pursued measures that would improve the quality of life for workers, and clearly this bill will do that. It will still not be easy to support a family on this wage, but it will be significantly less difficult than it was. We hope Governor Romney and Lieutenant Governor Healey agree with us that it is the right thing to do to improve the quality of life for people who have to work hard to survive."