By Sean Guay
I recently listened to a segment on PCN featuring state Rep. Aaron Bernstine discussing the implications of increasing the minimum wage in Pennsylvania. He argued that very few earners depend on minimum wage because wages are very competitive in the free market. For instance, new employees at Sheetz are being compensated nearly $20 per hour.
Hiking the minimum wage is not about increasing the pay checks of employees. Rep. Bernstine said union bosses actually seek to hike the minimum wage to inflate big union contracts.
An increase to the minimum wage would instantly drive up the price of union contracts at the local government level that are based on the minimum wage amount. Those increased costs would be most significant in PA school districts, therefore creating imbalanced budgets and a need to increase property taxes, or cut programs in many school districts.
In this debate the cost to taxpayers must be considered as well as the compensation of the union.
Harrisburg100 
If the general defacto wages are increasing, why keep them minimum abnormally low? I see the argument above as being used for the past 30 or more years I have been paying attention to this. Wages were raised more recently due to no one wanting to work for $10 per hour any more, so employers were forced to raise wages in order to entice people to work for them. Most families and/or single potential employees cannot afford to pay child care working for $10 – 12/hr, so someone had to stay home or work from home. Why not just put the need to increase income into law, as wages aren’t likely to go down anytime soon? The representative may think his argument makes sense, but in today’s world, it doesn’t fly with working people, only employers from whom the politicians hope to get donations for their campaigns.
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Minimum wage was meant to be for people entering the workforce with no experience. In time employees would gain experience and skills that would make employers pay them more, give them raises. Democrats and other socialists with no basic understanding of economics do not understand this. Raising the minimum wage means less opportunity for people entering the workforce with no skills or experience. No employee should remain at minimum wage if they are actually doing their job.
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That is complete nonsense. Try reading some history instead of telling lies.
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