On March 23, 2010 House Bill 1792 was passed out of committee. This amended version of the bill we told you about last month would reduce the minimum wage for workers 18 and Under. For most teens this would mean almost $2.00 an hour lost! In 2006, 76.4% of Missourians voted to pass Proposition B to raise the wage for ALL Missouri workers of ALL ages.

Don’t let the Missouri State House of Representatives vote to overturn the will of the voters! Visit this page if you are 18 and Under and want to tell the Missouri Legislature “Don’t cut my wages” Visit this page if you are Over 18 and want to tell the Missouri Legislature “Cutting wages based on age is unfair”

Young workers are important leaders in Jobs with Justice and the workers’ rights movement in Missouri. Have their back! Stand up against the attack on minimum wage for workers 18 and under. Follow this campaign on Facebook by joining the cause “Missouri Jobs with Justice” and the group “Fair Wages for Missouri Teens”

Industry groups say paying teens lower wages would create more jobs but we know they just want to make more money.
Paying teens unfair wages means cutting the family’s income at a time when ALL wage earners in a family are important to getting through tough times.

It’s UNFAIR to pay anyone less for the same work based on age!

Tell your Legislator today to OPPOSE HB 1792

• Unemployment is very high in Missouri right now, at 9.6%. If you cut the minimum wage for teenagers, more workers 18 years old and over could lose their jobs to lower paid teens.
• Don’t assume that teenage wages are just “disposable income”. A teenager’s income is very important to their family, especially in tough economic times.
• Young workers need to be able to invest in their future Often young workers are paying tuition, saving for a car or making other investments in their future as a citizen and worker in the community.
• Paying two workers different wages for the same work is just unfair We don’t allow employers to pay workers less because they’re black or white, or a man or a woman – why is it ok to pay a teen less just because they are young. What should matter is that they do their job like everyone else.

Tell your Legislator today to OPPOSE HB 1792 and SB 875!