03-30-06,9:14am

Thanks to the campaign by Michigan’s unions and community allies, the state’s low-wage workers will be better able to support themselves and their families.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) signed legislation March 28 that will boost the current state minimum wage of $5.15 an hour to $6.95 an hour in October, followed by a July 2007 raise to $7.15 and $7.40 a year later.

Earlier this year, minimum wage backers mobilized to put an initiative to raise the wage on the November ballot. The drive proved so popular—polls showed 80 percent of Michigan voters backed it—that Republican lawmakers got off the stick after years of opposing a raise and passed the minimum wage legislation.

Why the sudden change of heart in favor of low-wage workers? Fear of a huge Democratic turnout in November, political observers say.

Grassroots activists in states across the nation are pushing for ballot initiatives or legislation to boost states’ minimum wage in the face of repeated efforts by the Bush White House and congressional Republicans to block any increase in the federal minimum wage. Those efforts to raise the pay of low-paid workers is enjoying widespread support.

Workers haven’t seen an increase in the $5.15 an hour federal minimum wage since 1997. During that time, Congress has voted itself eight raises.

The fear of voter backlash against candidates who oppose raising the minimum wage has bubbled up to the White House where there are now reports the Bush administration is softening its opposition to a raise. The question is—will Bush back a meaningful increase without including some poison pill such as a large number of exemptions to the law or changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act?

Last year Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) introduced a bill, which would have raised the minimum wage but that included draconian provisions to exempt millions of workers from the minimum wage, cut overtime pay and weaken job safety and health protection.

(You can become a citizen co-sponsor of legislation to raise the federal minimum wage. Click here.)

The Michigan victory follows a January win in Maryland, when the legislature voted to override Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s (R) 2005 veto of a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.15. In Minnesota, New Jersey and Vermont in 2005, unions and community groups pushed hard for and won legislation boosting those states’ minimum wages.

In Arkansas, union activists working with community groups in a “Give Arkansas A Raise Now” coalition succeeded this week in urging legislators to consider a minimum wage increase during a special session.

According to KATV in Little Rock, Ricky Belk, of the AFL-CIO, says the increase, up to $6.25 an hour, “will be significant if you look at what they’re earning today.”

With the new minimum wage on the way, the ballot drive has been suspended. Michigan coalition members plan to mobilize around other working family issues, including get-out-the-vote efforts.

Read more about the Michigan minimum wage campaign here and go here to see how lawmakers in other states are feeling the heat to raise their states’ minimum wages.