APALA Joins Senator Kennedy and Civil Rights Groups in Support of A Raise in the Minimum Wage

Jon Melegrito, former APALA Board Member, joined Senator Kennedy and other leading civil rights leaders at a press conference in support of raising the minimum wage. Below are Jon Melegrito's prepared remarks:

Good morning. I am Jon Melegrito. I am speaking on behalf of Gloria T. Caoile, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. Ms. Caoile is presently out of the country. I am a member of APALA and previously served on APALA’s board of directors.

APALA is one of the constituency groups of the AFL-CIO. It is the first and only national organization of Asian Pacific American union members. APALA’s agenda includes organizing workers, advocating for civil rights, social and economic justice, and increasing the participation of Asian Americans in the political process.

APALA supports the passage of a minimum wage bill with no accompanying tax provisions. Of the 6.6 million Americans estimated to benefit directly from a minimum wage increase, about two percent are Asian Americans, mostly women with children.

Raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour will mean an additional $4,400 a year to help these minimum wage earners support their families. At present levels, these wage earners are making just $10,700 a year, far less than the federal poverty guideline of $16,600 for a family of three.

Many Asian Americans who are at the low end of the wage scale are immigrants. They face linguistic and cultural barriers and are more likely to be exploited by unscrupulous employers. These are hard-working Americans. Reward them fairly for their labor.

In states that have already raised their own minimum wage, economic studies show no adverse impact to the state economy. In fact, raising the minimum wage has resulted in less employee turnover, increased productivity, more job growth, not job losses. We at APALA urge the United States Senate to do the right thing. Pass a minimum wage bill that is not tied to tax breaks.

Thank you.