Advocacy Pays Off

Hundreds of thousands of workers can thank labor movement advocates for their pay increase this month when the state minimum wage increased from $12 to $12.75. In 2018, organizations that made up the Fight for 15 worker advocacy group (including MassCOSH) led state lawmakers to pass legislation that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2023.

MassCOSH’s Teens Lead at Work peer leaders will be among those receiving the pay bump as paid MassCOSH employees. The wage increase has helped narrow the state’s wealth gap and is a far cry from the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

In 2021, the state minimum wage will rise to $13.50, rising to $14.25 in 2022, before finally reaching $15 in 2023.