Chuck Schumer Is Looking At Penalizing Big Corporations That Don’t Pay $15 Minimum Wage

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is considering adding a provision to the stimulus bill that would penalize big corporations who don’t pay a $15/hour minimum wage.

CNN reported:

As an alternative, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is now eying imposing penalties for corporations offering less than a $15 minimum wage as part of the relief package, which stands as the new administration’s first big legislative priority and the first chance Democrats have to show they can deliver on their promises now that they control both chambers of Congress and the White House.

“Schumer is looking at adding to Senate COVID bill a new provision to penalize large corporations that don’t pay their workers at least a $15 minimum wage,” a senior Democratic aide told CNN on Friday.

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Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden is already working on a minimum wage Plan B. Democrats aren’t going to give up on the Fight for Fifteen, but even if they could get past the parliamentarian, there is the issue of a few Senate Democrats who oppose the $15/hour minimum wage.

With a little creative thinking, there is a great deal that Senate Democrats can do to boost the earnings of low-wage workers, and going after big corporations, especially in the retail sector, who keep profits high by keeping wages low is a good common sense first step in the battle to raise the minimum wage.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association