Taking stock of a subdued Capitol Rotunda on the eve of budget season, John Meyerson, spokesperson for Raise the Wage PA, made note that the building still has symbolic meaning.

“It’s not empty, because it’s filled with the hopes and aspirations of millions of Pennsylvanians who are looking for a fair and living wage,” Meyerson said.

A recently released Independent Fiscal Office review of Governor Tom Wolf’s 2018 budget analyzed three marquee proposals found within — a cut in the state’s corporate net income tax, a natural gas severance tax and raising the minimum wage to $12.00.

Taken together, the IFO predicted an average annual gain of $418 million each year in state revenue, which peaks in the early 2020s before falling down by 2023.

The city of Pittsburgh has just introduced the next step in its slow grind forward to raise wages for low income workers in the most liveable city. 

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto sent legislation to city council Monday to mandate any employer with a professional service contract with the city worth more than $100,000 pay their workers $15 an hour. 

“City government has the ability to choose many different factors of who it decides to do business with,” Peduto said. “I can't think of anything more important than having an agreement that the lowest paid workers of those that do business with the city are adequately paid.” 

While Harrisburg is still engaged in a state budget debate, Pittsburgh City Council has moved ahead with support of a measure introduced to raise Pennsylvania’s statewide minimum wage.

Councilman Dan Gilman (District 8) today introduced a Will of Council to support Pennsylvania House Bill 1520, introduced by Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), aimed at incrementally increasing the state’s minimum wage until it reaches $15.00 an hour in 2024.