When the state legislature voted in 2019 to increase Maryland’s minimum wage, no one could have predicted the ways the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic would change lives and communities. Indeed, the pandemic underscored just how much this increase of the minimum wage to $15 is needed and deserved by workers — now.
Gov. Wes Moore has made increasing the minimum wage on an accelerated schedule — $15 by this year rather than 2025 as mandated by the 2019 law — one of his top priorities during his first legislative session. We are fortunate to have a new governor who recognizes the value of supporting workers, including the front line workers who kept businesses and communities running during the pandemic. From home care aides to nursing home staff to restaurant workers to delivery drivers, our communities and families benefited immensely from the sacrifices and dedication of these workers.
While the phased increases in the minimum wage that have taken effect since the law’s passage have made a positive impact, these increases have been outpaced by inflation and soaring costs for basic needs, like food and housing. The phased timeline in the original legislation does not meet our current, costly realities. Our Maryland workers urgently need better wages and protections to sufficiently provide for themselves and their families now.
Cost of living data show that even in lower-cost areas such as Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, workers need at least a $15 minimum wage just to...
Blow the whistle, get paid. A Justice Department bounty program that incentivizes employees to blow the whistle on their employers could lead to more whistleblowing as the Trump administration inte...