News: Raising the minimum wage is popular. Are Republicans listening?

Monday, December 16, 2024

Raising the minimum wage is popular. Are Republicans listening?

Dec 16, 2024

QUICK FIX

ALL ABOUT THE MONEY: Minimum wage increases will take effect on New Year’s Day in 48 cities and counties in the U.S. as jurisdictions across the country raise pay floors for workers burdened by rising post-pandemic prices.

A report released last week from the National Employment Law Project found that the minimum wage will reach $15 in eight states and 47 cities and counties. NELP also found that additional wage increases will take effect in 28 jurisdictions later in the year.

“The states that have the option to put these issues on the ballot have seen them met with success repeatedly,” said Jennifer Sherer, an acting deputy director at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. “So we're at this point where, either through ballot initiative or legislation, there are 30 states that have already raised their minimum wage beyond the federal level.”

The pay boosts highlight how wins for workers in various states continues to undermine the importance of the federal minimum wage, which has remained untouched for more than a decade since its last increase to $7.25.

President-elect Donald Trump recently told NBC News that the federal minimum wage was "a very low number" and expressed an openness to raising it.

"I would consider it," he told NBC News' Kristen Welker earlier this month. "I’d want to speak to the governors."

Voters in Republican-led states recently approved ballot questions to raise pay floors in their states, while some of their blue-state counterparts rejected measures to increase pay for workers.

While GOP lawmakers haven’t explicitly telegraphed plans for raising the minimum wage now that they control nearly all levers of the federal government, Trump's recent overtures to his working-class base could point to a party willing to use a new legislative window to pivot on an issue most Americans can get behind.

A 2021 Pew Research poll found roughly 62 percent of Americans support raising the federal minimum wage to $15, a percentage that could rise as more workers experience the benefits of higher pay floors in their states.

Trump has tapped Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) for Labor secretary, a pro-union pick that generated anxiety among business groups. He also backed dockworkers last week in their push for protections against automation as both sides careen toward a potential work stoppage on Jan. 15.

If Republicans in Congress were ever going to change their stance on raising the federal minimum wage, there may be no better time to do it.

GOOD MORNING. It’s Monday, Dec. 16. Welcome back to Morning Shift, your go-to tipsheet on labor and employment-related immigration. Send feedback, tips and exclusives to nniedzwiadek@politico.com and lukenye@politico.com. Follow us on X at @NickNiedz and @Lawrence_Ukenye.

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In the Workplace

FIRST IN SHIFT: The Bipartisan Policy Center is rolling out its Commission on the American Workforce that plans to recruit experts and develop a national strategy for strengthening the country's education and workforce development systems.

Former Govs. Bill Haslam of Tennessee and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts were tapped to lead the commission and will helm the organization's effort to address the country's skills challenges that have left more than one million jobs unfilled.

“The challenges are clear and significant, ranging from child care deserts to a skills gap in the labor market,” Patrick said in a statement. “We need bold, multi sector solutions that work for everyone. This commission is committed to getting the job done for all Americans.”

The group released a fact sheet last month highlighting several education and workforce-related bills that need to be reauthorized, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

DISTRICT DELIVERY DRAMA: Delivery firms are pushing back on a D.C. bill that would regulate the industry by requiring companies to share trip data and drivers to display business logos, The Washington Post reports.

Opponents of the proposal fear that the plan would make drivers too visible and expose them to potential carjackings. DoorDash has already begun sounding the alarm to customers advising them that they should send comments to city officials, warning that the plan would put shoppers’ privacy at risk.

More from the District: “How D.C. tackled a child care crunch through a tax hike on the rich,” from NPR.

More workplace news: “Disney agrees to $233-million settlement in wage theft case,” from the Los Angeles Times.

Immigration

END OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP?: Incoming Trump officials are drafting an executive order that would eliminate birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants with the goal of getting the plan in front of the Supreme Court, our Myah Ward and Betsy Woodruff Swan reported.

Conservative groups are hopeful that while Trump’s plan might run into hurdles at first, the Supreme Court could deliver a ruling in their favor.

What they're saying: “The last case on this was 1898, so it’s a very long time ago," said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "And I actually think when the Supreme Court looks at this, they will realize and uphold what Trump does.”

Why it matters: Trump floated the idea of eliminating birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, during his first term but never followed through on it. Legal scholars on both sides of the political aisle argue that birthright citizenship is protected under the Constitution, meaning Trump’s plans could result in a lengthy legal battle with immigration advocates.

WORKFORCE WOES: Business owners are fretting about Trump's plans to eliminate many legal pathways for employers to hire workers, including the Temporary Protected Status that allows migrants to obtain work authorizations, The Wall Street Journal reported.

An effort to roll back such programs worsen firms’ ability to fill roles and hurt families who are forced out of their jobs in the U.S.

More immigration news: “Trump's deportations could shake up the restaurant industry,” from Reuters.

On the Hill

HEAR US OUT: Black leaders in Congress are pushing President Joe Biden to allow Japanese firm Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel, despite United Steelworkers' opposition to the plan meant to save the struggling Pittsburgh-based company, our Doug Palmer reports for Pro subscribers.

Reps. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote in a letter to Biden stressing that Nippon’s plans to invest in aging facilities in Indiana, Pittsburgh and Alabama would promote economic security for Black workers in those regions.

Trump vowed not to approve the acquisition, putting pressure on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to block the sale over national security concerns. CFIUS is expected to give Biden its recommendations before the end of the year.

More from the Hill: "Congress grapples over pre-Christmas catch-all deal as government shutdown looms," from our Jennifer Scholtes.

Unions

TSA UNION PUSHES BACK: The union that represents TSA employees is warning against conservatives’ plans to privatize airport security over safety concerns after the proposal appeared in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plan, our Cassandra Dumay reports.

What they’re saying: “Everybody recalls what happened on 9/11,” said Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees’ unit that represents TSA workers. “Since we've made this change, there hasn't been a 9/11.” Jones was referring to the TSA's history — it was established under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act two months after the 9/11 attacks to federalize previously private air and surface transportation security.

Details: Project 2025 calls for expanding an existing bagging screening partnership with private companies until TSA’s security role solely consists of oversight.

Republican lawmakers haven’t signaled any effort to move on the plan, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who said they haven’t heard in-depth discussions on the proposal.

More union news: “Canadian government asks labor board to intervene in Canada Post strike as Christmas nears,” from The Seattle Times.

IN THE STATES

TIME TO REGROUP: Progressive advocates are reeling after California voters dealt the push to end slavery loopholes in state constitutions a crushing blow.

Californians voted against a ballot measure that would have banned forced prison labor after some proponents feared that the question’s language was confusing to voters. Now lawyers with ties to the movement are working to draft ballot questions that account for the public’s rightward shift on criminal justice.

The push to enshrine protections for incarcerated individuals comes as the prison industry also sees efforts to outlaw involuntary servitude as a threat to the way it operates.

Our Emily Schultheis has more.

More state news: “Cal/OSHA issues first fine for 'serious willful violation' of heat rules,” from our Alex Nieves for Pro subscribers.

WHAT WE'RE READING

— "Office Property Meltdown Is Starting to Surface at Regional Banks," from Bloomberg.

— Opinion: "Hold On, Elon and Vivek: Firing Federal Bureaucrats Isn’t the Solution," from The Wall Street Journal.

— "As Gen X Nears Retirement, Many Fear They Can’t Afford It — Now or Ever," from Bloomberg.

— “Supreme Court says it will review if Catholic Charities is exempt from labor taxes in a major church-state case,” from CNN.

THAT’S YOUR SHIFT!

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