this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2026
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A pair of progressive Democrats unveiled a bill on Tuesday that would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour, considered the bare minimum a single adult needs to meet the cost of living in much of the US.

The Living Wage For All Act is the first bill to be introduced by the newly sworn-in Rep. Analilia Mejía (D-NJ), who won a special election earlier this month after helping to lead the fight for a $15 minimum wage in her home state of New Jersey.

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[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 136 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

Can’t wait to hear all the people complaining about this because they’re already making $25 an hour. As though keeping everybody else down will somehow make things better for you.

If you’re making $25 an hour, and the minimum wage changes, you should demand more money for yourself, not less money for other.

[–] disorderly@lemmy.world 70 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Isn't it weird how when billionaires make more money "a rising tide raises all boats", but when the poorest make more money, suddenly there's extreme resource scarcity?

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Rising tide raises all yachts. Most of us can’t afford boats, so we’re just drowned by the tide.

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[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 40 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's called "punching down economics".

[–] BillyClark@piefed.social 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

“If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.”

― Lyndon B. Johnson

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[–] TommySoda@lemmy.world 24 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

As someone that makes around $25, that's still not even that much money. It definitely feels like a good minimum wage as I can afford my bills and food relatively easily (although it is getting harder as prices go up) but it's still not really enough to make my life that much more comfortable than it was 5 years ago.

The only complaint I have is that I needed to work for 10 years in order to reach a wage of what would now be considered minimum wage. It's always seemed like every increase in wages I have ever gotten has been a year or two too late conpared to how expensive everything is. When I was making $14 an hour the average house prices in my area were $100,000 to $300,000. Now that I'm making almost twice as much and could afford a house 8 years ago, house prices in my area average around $400,000 to $800,000 and sometimes over $1,000,000. It's like I've been playing catch up since the day I was born. In my opinion, I should be making $30+ an hour.

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[–] evenglow@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Fix poverty and you'll see a bunch of completely unrelated problems magically disappear.

Which is exactly why rich people love poverty so much. Revenue stream.

[–] 13igTyme@piefed.social 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The rich also like poverty and homeless so they can use it to scare the masses. "Thinking about asking your boss for a raise, careful. Ask for too much and you'll be replaced and end up homeless."

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Bucket crab ass mentality

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

A swift "well, don't you think you're worth more than that" can build many bridges

[–] discocactus@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

I'm making about that much and I'm sick of my bosses saying "well it's a good wage". I would have so much more ammo for a raise if it was the new minimum. Don't understand people who don't understand a rising tide.

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[–] Etterra@discuss.online 64 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

These idiots need to stop setting the minimum wage to fixed values, and set them to calculations based off GDP and localized (by county) cost of living, with an annual (or better yet quarterly) refresh on the calculation. Maybe some other variables, I'm not an economist, but the point is to have it adjust without needing constant legislative flights.

[–] Phil_in_here@lemmy.ca 16 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Fuck, they could agree to recalculate every decade and it would still be an improvement.

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[–] TheMadCodger@piefed.social 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

It should be tied to congress's salary. Every time they give themselves a pay rise, minimum wage increases proportionally. Also healthcare and pensions.

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It’s cute you think a Congressperson makes money from their salary

[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

They do make a salary and they often do vote to increase it. So their comment still makes sense.

Their other unethical to illegal money making strategies are irrelevant to what was said about minimum wage, but it'd be nice if we did something about all the insider trading and bribery

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[–] Tetragrade@leminal.space 7 points 2 weeks ago

Nah mate that has a chance of working, can't have that.

[–] Doublenut@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 weeks ago

The comment above yours laid out the details in this bill which include automatic increases adjusting with the median national income. I think that's about as good as it could get coming from the federal government You could loby your local/ state government for additional adjustments based on COL, something i could see happening in NY, California or other high COL places. At least I could have seen in the pre-weasel reality, but who knows on this hellsphere.

[–] rounding_error@lemmy.today 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

inb4 gop uses this calculation to set the minimum wage to like $10

[–] nocturne@slrpnk.net 5 points 2 weeks ago

Still would be a raise for some places.

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[–] Darcranium@lemmy.world 39 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Would be better to lower the maximum wage

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

No reason it has to be only one. Both is the correct answer

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[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah, that's called a wealth tax or marginal tax rate. And we need that too. Only problem is that over half of America has been thoroughly brainwashed into believing that a wealth tax would "ruin the economy" because multiple conservative think tanks funded by billionaires has spent the last 4 decades propagandizing that belief into them.

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 6 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

the weird thing is, if the billionaires had their wealth redistributed, it would actually BENEFIT the economy. People hoarding wealth does nothing for anyone except them.

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[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Rich people live off equity. Make them realize gains used as loan collateral!

[–] oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 weeks ago

Or just stop granting loans to people with net worth over some amount. If they can afford to do whatever they're doing with their current assets, then they should sell that to make the value of the loans they "need".

Loans aren't meant to be a gamble or profitable (for the borrower) transaction. They're to access items you can't currently afford but need and are willing to pay significantly for over time.

Especially when your net assets cover the cost of the loan amount hundreds of thousands of times like "Richie's" do.

I'm sorry, but people who have never seen a balance in their life with less than 7 digits just shouldn't qualify for any loans at all, period.

And none of that signing stuff of to hidden Bank accounts and fake companies.

Tldr- if you're rich, absolutely disqualified for all loans.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

definitely.

pass laws that say highest paid employees can only make 10x what lowest paid employees can.

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[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Or cap the multiplier that upper management make compared to the lowest employees and make it harder for companies to hire contractors instead of full time employees with benefits.

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[–] AmbitiousProcess@piefed.social 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

For people who want the details:

Companies with more than $1 billion gross revenue or more than 500 employees would be scheduled to increase their minimum pay to $25/hour by 2031, while smaller employers would be on a longer timeline to reach $25/hour by 2038.

AKA no instant price shock

To ensure wages don’t lag again in the following years, the bill also requires the minimum wage to automatically grow each year to reach the equivalent of two-thirds the national median hourly wage.

This isn't adjusted to inflation, but the median national hourly wage tends to reflect a very similar trend to inflation as measured by the CPI, but lags behind a bit. If the base minimum wage was raised like this, it would bring that stat much more on par with inflation, if not higher than it as it stands now.

It also eliminates the subminimum wage, which is paid to tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities.

FINALLY! Just because you receive tips, are younger, or have a disability, you shouldn't be paid less than someone else if you've still gotten hired to do the job. You might be familiar with the tipped subminimum wage, which is where, if you receive tips from your job, instead of the $7.25/hr minimum wage, you can get paid as low as $2.13/hr as long as your tips make up the difference to bring you to at least $7.25.

This is one reason why so many places want you to tip now. The person doesn't get extra money, you just subsidize their employer paying them less out of their pocket.

...buuuuuuuuuut there's also a lowered minimum wage for disabled people... with literally no actual minimum. It's why one Goodwill was at one point paying a guy $0.22/hr:

https://www.cnbc.com/2013/06/21/some-disabled-workers-paid-just-pennies-an-hour.html

If I didn't know how screwed up America is, I'd assume that had to be satire, but nope, it's real. Subminimum wages being abolished is great.

[–] LemmyFeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 weeks ago

if you receive tips from your job, instead of the $7.25/hr minimum wage, you can get paid as low as $2.13/hr

And yet some workers still fiercely defend it and will insist these rules stay in place. They've been brainwashed by the system to think they will somehow make less if subminimum is eliminated.

It's why one Goodwill was at one point paying a guy $0.22/hr:

This is absolutely disgusting. Fuck that company. Selling donations at market rate and exploiting workers all while claiming nonprofit status. Like a true capitalist. If the company is non profit and they're triple dipping on the merchandise and labor, where's the money going?

Seems a lot goes to executive pay and "grants" to other Goodwill organizations I wonder how much of that grant money is used for salaries in those organizations.

[–] Snowies@lemmy.zip 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

We need a federal minimum wage that increases with inflation every year as a default.

If your wages aren’t keeping up with inflation, you’re taking a pay cut, every year — for the same (or let’s be real, slightly more) expected workload.

It’s time for the work force in this country to organize and stand united as a whole.

A thousand rich people cannot withstand the might of 300 million working voters.

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[–] orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 weeks ago

By the time they pass this, we'll need $50/hour minimum.

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (9 children)

Great, next time you have a majority, pass the increase.

You don't need a super majority, stop your parliamentary bullshitting. Use "the nuclear option" (Trent Lott, R coined the term in 2000s to scare the dummies), you only need a SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE.

Don't try it just once... repeat until passage, party whips can make it happen. If they can't, go public with the holdouts and why, every day. Refuse to pass anything else until it's done.

People have been fighting for 15 an hour so long it's no longer enough. Poland has better worker benefits and pays almost as much as the USA; we will soon be surpassed by Eastern Europe.

When the labor law was passed in 1938 or so, the minimum wage was supposed to be enough to keep a family of four above the poverty line with ONE WORKER. Make that the law, because you obviously can't be trusted to raise the wage on your own in the future. You embarrassing hacks.

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[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Companies with more than $1 billion gross revenue or more than 500 employees would be scheduled to increase their minimum pay to $25/hour by 2031, while smaller employers would be on a longer timeline to reach $25/hour by 2038.

I wish we would stop chasing moving targets here. 2031 is just 5 years, but what will it mean with inflation? Using an inflation calculator and comparing $25 from five years ago (2021), to today's inflation rate, it bring us to $30.47 in 2026. Over five dollars in five years.

I'm no mathematician or economist, so correct me if I'm wrong, but if inflation continues this trend, wouldn't enacting a $25 wage in 5 years still bring us below a minimum living wage? That is, if we'd started the fight for $25 five years ago, maybe it'd make sense to make it that number today. But by picking a target that makes sense today and pushing it 5 years into the future, doesn't that mean it'll be $5 weaker (or whatever change inflation causes) when it finally rolls out?

Calculate future inflation before picking the target, then tie the number to inflation, damn it. These low numbers just mean we'll keep chasing new minimums and will always be left behind.

[–] ptc075@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 weeks ago

I agree, we need to stop chasing a moving target. Instead, minimum wage needs to be adjusted every year to account for inflation.

Fun fact, the maximum amount you can donate to your congressmen is increased every year to account for inflation. So, we already have the formulas in place.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 weeks ago

Beautiful, love to see it. Don't forget to tie it to inflation. My ideal is 3% or or cpi, whichever is greater

[–] jaykrown@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm in Chicago, I just recently put in my 2 weeks at work because I was given additional responsibilities with no raise in pay. I told them I expected $25 an hour up from $19.50 an hour because I would effectively be taking on the responsibilities of an entire other role in the company which was being integrated into my workflow. They couldn't do it. So now I'm looking for a job that actually pays $25 now because that's the bare minimum for a living wage today.

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[–] HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 12 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Great now do a wealth tax next please.

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[–] DrSleepless@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It’s a great idea but it’ll never pass

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)
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[–] sommerset@thelemmy.club 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

Hey. I want to nationalize seashores.

It's unfair most people are kept in tiny dirty reservations ( public beaches) while the rich still own most of the costal areas.

Oceans coasts belong to all of us.

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[–] nixukty@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

genuine question, im trying to learn something. i do agree that higher wages are necessary for the current economic climate, and that raising the minimum should come with other, more in-demand jobs having their wages/salaries raised as well. however, would this worsen prices? obviously most companies could probably stomach the cost, but they would probably raise prices anyway to reclaim their original revenue stream. and then, since prices increased, a higher minimum wage would be necessary to survive in the new climate. what happens next?

[–] BillCheddar@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

SIMPLE ANSWER: Companies would learn to accept lower profit.

There's no goddamn good reason for companies to "need" 15, 20, 30% profit margins. And there's zero justification for companies to assume (a) every year is a winner and (b) every year, we gotta grow.

Every dollar they keep in excess profit is a dollar they stole from you. That extra dollar increases prices, decreases the value of the money you DO get to earn, and increases the political power of the extremely wealthy people who already own the government.

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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

The impact of higher minimum wage on prices is way less than most people think.
First thing is that wages is only a minor share of the price already, with obviously minimum wage work again being only a minor part of the total.
The total of minimum wage workers in most companies is less than what the management makes. Sometimes even less than just the CEO. Have you ever heard fear of inflation or that prices increase because the CEOs are overpaid?

I haven't, probably because the narrative is driven by the 1%, and has little to do with real economics.

[–] PhoenixDog@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

One thing people also never seem to factor into raising minimum wage, is that it would give people more disposable income to spend on things like going to restaurants and buying more toys and such.

Everyone always seems to complain "How could I afford to pay my employees more!?" and they never seem to figure more people would be spending money on your business.

Also simply put, if you can't pay your employees a livable wage, you shouldn't own a business.

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[–] KelvarCherry@piefed.blahaj.zone 7 points 2 weeks ago

The bill is cosponsored by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants who, she said, worked multiple minimum-wage jobs just to get by.

They said "a pair" so I'm dropping that for the Illinois folks.

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