H-674                _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4004

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Belcher, Wineberry, R. King, Patrick, Cole, G. Fisher, Winsley, K. Wilson, R. Fisher, Brekke, Nelson, Basich, Sayan, Brough, Wang, Anderson, Braddock, Heavey, O'Brien, Pruitt, Leonard, Walk, Miller, Fraser, Jacobsen, Holland, P. King, Nutley, Todd, Day, Walker, Dellwo, May, Jones, Rust, Phillips, Crane, Brumsickle, Tate and Ebersole

Read first time 1/18/89 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The federal minimum wage of $3.35 per hour was last increased in 1981, and since 1981 inflation has reduced the value of the minimum wage by approximately 30 percent, and the real value of the federal minimum wage is now at its lowest level since 1955; and

          WHEREAS, The majority of minimum wage earners are adults, and many are the head of their household; and

          WHEREAS, The federal minimum wage does not provide enough income for a family of three to live above the poverty level, and people who work full time should be able to support their family; and

          WHEREAS, Minimum wage jobs should provide enough income to enable people to work in place of relying on social welfare programs; and

          WHEREAS, A higher federal minimum wage will benefit the economy by increasing consumer spending and boosting worker morale and productivity; and

          WHEREAS, Eleven states now set their state minimum wage at a higher level than the federal minimum wage; and

          WHEREAS, On November 8, 1988, eighty-one percent of the voters of the state of Washington voted in favor of an initiative to raise the state's minimum wage from $2.30 per hour to $3.85 per hour effective January 1, 1989, and to $4.25 per hour effective January 1, 1990; and

          WHEREAS, The measure of a society is how well it provides for its less fortunate members, and a livable minimum wage is a standard of decency which should apply across the entire nation and not just in some of the states;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectively pray that the United States Congress enact and the President sign into law an increase in the federal minimum wage to at least $4.25 per hour as of January 1, 1990.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of the Senate and House of Representatives labor committees, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.