West
Virginia AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue predicted Monday Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin
would sign the bill raising the minimum wage despite objections being raised by
employer and business groups over the impact of overtime changes.
The
AFL-CIO joined several other groups in supporting the increase that passed the
House and Senate on the final night of the legislative session. It would raise
the current $7.25 an hour minimum wage to $8.00 on Jan. 1, 2015 and then to
$8.75 in 2016.
The
deadline to sign or veto the bill is Tuesday or it becomes law without
Tomblin’s signature.
“I
think the governor is going to look at the people who need it the most and sign
the bill,” Perdue said. “In signing the bill he’s going to do a very good thing
for the people who need it the most.”
Perdue
said 122,000 state residents would benefit from the increase.
Concern
over the increase began to build last week when the changes it makes in
overtime language were highlighted. The change trumps the federal overtime
exemptions that 80 percent of employers in West Virginia
Wheeling
Mayor Andy McKenzie was among those calling on calling on Tomblin to veto the
bill.
“If
the intent is to make minimum wage go up, and solely that, go back and make a
bill, very simple, that states just that,” said McKenzie. “Somehow, this has
gone through committee after committee, two floor sessions, and, clearly, no
one read the bill.”
He
added the overtime changes could impact Wheeling
Labor
leader Perdue said the concerns about the bill are very late in the game.
“Never heard anything…..until
after the bill passed and went to the governor,” Perdue said. “If you’re going
to pay attention to legislation come up and have fun with us for sixty days and
make sure if there’s a problem with it you try and address that problem.”
