Philadelphia Workers Attend Minimum-Wage-Hike Rally in Harrisburg
By Jim Melwert
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Two busloads of workers from Philadelphia are at the Pennsylvania state capitol today, attending a "Raise the Minimum Wage" rally.
Organizers hope the rally will help get a minimum wage hike on the legislative agenda in Harrisburg.
"No individual who is working 40 hours a week should have to rely on government assistance," says Samuel Jones, with the Restaurant Opportunities Center. He is advocating for an increase in the minimum wage for restaurant workers who get tips because, he says, the current minimum is too low.
"Which is $2.83 an hour, and that needs to be at the same level as the minimum wage," which, he tells KYW Newsradio, should be $10.10 an hour in Pennsylvania.
Andre Butler, who works as a banquet server, making around $8 an hour, agrees:
"All your cashiers, your bell captains, your parking valets, your waiters, waitresses -- all them make minimum wage or a little bit above, and that's the backbone of this country, especially in this city," he says.