Politics & Government

Baker Signs Prince George's County Minimum Wage Increase into Law

The law goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2014, an will increase the county minimum wage incrementally through October 2017.

Minimum-wage workers in Prince George's County will get a boost next year, thanks to the minimum wage bill signed into law by Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker with the support of the county council.

The bill goes into effect Oct. 1, 2014 and will raise the minimum wage in Prince George's County to $8.14 per hour. The wage will increase incrementally each year following, until it reaches $11.50 in 2017. The increase will affect about 4 percent of the 300,000-person workforce in the county.

"As we all know, a living wage is essential to meeting basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Frankly, that is what this is about," Baker said in a statement.

Prince George's County Council Chair Mel Franklin called the signing of the bill a "tremendous day for the working families of Prince George's County."

"An honest day's work deserves an honest day's pay," Franklin said in a statement.

Increasing the minimum wage in Prince George's is just one step toward helping Maryland workers, Baker said in the same statement. 

"The next critical step in this endeavor is to continue our efforts to seek an increase in the minimum wage statewide during the next session of the Maryland General Assembly that begins onJanuary 8, 2014 as well as to push Congress to increase the federal minimum wage," Baker stated.


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