[Publib] Minimum Wage Update

[Backwage at aol.com]

About wages and library workers: 
The proposed federal minimum wage increase seems to have a great deal of  
support—which, paradoxically is why it has become bottled up in Congress.  In 
January of this year the House voted  to increase the wage to $7.25 per hour, and 
the Senate followed suit the next  month.  President George Bush has  said he 
would sign the legislation.  The problem is that, because the bill is sure to 
become law, everybody  has jumped on the bandwagon.  Provisions have been 
attached to provide tax relief to small  businesses.  At this point in the  game, 
all sides have dug in their heels and the wagon has come to a  halt. 
This situation affects the library world in serious ways.  Obviously, the new 
minimum wage will  increase pay for the lowest-paid classifications, and push 
up pay levels for  those immediately above.  Of course  a significant element 
here is timing; not knowing the effective date of the  increase will impact 
budget planning, and at least one other thing as  well: 
I planned to bring to ALA-APA Council a Resolution  establishing minimum 
salary levels for non-librarian workers.  The pending status of the new minimum  
wage throws this process out of whack, making the exercise a risky project to  
deal with at the present moment.  The new minimum will immediately alter the 
basis for calculation of  appropriate minimums for various  classifications of 
work.  If the  minimums are set before the wage  increases, there is a very 
real likelihood that the salaries called for will end  up lower than would be 
desirable.  This would act to harm rather than help library workers seeking 
support  for higher salaries.  The nationwide  minimum wage will almost certainly 
increase more than two dollars.  I think it would be a much better thing  to 
have the effect of this increase incorporated into the statistical base than  
otherwise.  The only fair and  equitable thing to do is to wait for two things: 
 the increase to become law, and for the  effect to have impact on figures 
used as a foundation for any future  Resolution.   
Comments are welcomed.  
Michael McGrorty



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