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$15 Minimum Wage Bad For Connecticut
December 2016 · Michael Saltsman · The Hartford Courant
After nearly a year of study, Connecticut’s Low Wage Employer Advisory Board recommended that the Connecticut General Assembly pass a $15 minimum wage law. As the board’s biased name would suggest, this conclusion was foregone, but it doesn’t mean legislators need to act on it. Connecticut has had a front-row seat to the launch and growth of the Fight for $15 campaign. It originated in New York… -
Trump can continue cabinet wins with Labor secretary who uses the bully pulpit
November 2016 · Michael Saltsman · The Hill
President-elect Donald Trump has so far surprised his critics on the right by considering Cabinet secretaries with a reputation for thoughtful leadership rather than anti-establishment bomb-throwing. As he now looks at candidates to run the Labor Department, he should take a lesson from current Labor Secretary Tom Perez and nominate someone who understands the value of the bully pulpit. The Perez Labor Department has made a name for itself… -
Saltsman: Activists have little to give thanks to this Thanksgiving weekend
November 2016 · Michael Saltsman · The Oklahoman
The post-election silver lining for left-wing activists and labor unions at Thanksgiving get-togethers this holiday weekend is that minimum wage ballot measures were passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington. But upon further examination, even this silver lining is tarnished. Labor unions and big liberal donors poured millions into these campaigns hoping they would act as a vehicle to drive turnout for Democratic candidates. Labor union-backed activists… -
OPINION: This Tuesday, Protect Jobs for South Dakota’s Teens
November 2016 · Michael Saltsman · The Daily Republic
On Tuesday, South Dakota voters will decide whether the state’s young adults deserve the same shot at a first job as prior generations. South Dakota approved an increase in the state’s starter wage in 2014, raising it from the federal level of $7.25 up to $8.50 an hour. It was a relatively narrow win, however—45 percent of voters opposed the measure, suggesting that they were sensitive to… -
The ‘Yes’ Vote That Says No to Low-Wage Workers
November 2016 · Michael Saltsman · The Wall Street Journal
Voters in Maine, Arizona, Colorado and Washington state will make a decision on Election Day that is almost as consequential as their choice between Clinton or Trump: whether to raise their state’s starting pay rate to $12 an hour or higher. Red and blue voters alike need to understand that such a sizable boost in base pay would reduce job opportunities for the employees who need them… -
Ros-Lehtinen’s bad bet on $15
October 2016 · Michael Saltsman · The Hill
21It’s not uncommon for politicians to make election-year decisions based on poll numbers rather than principles. But even by this relaxed standard, Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s recent endorsement of a $15 minimum wage demonstrates remarkably bad judgment. Before giving additional credence to the policy ideas of her purple-shirted friends in the SEIU, Ros-Lehtinen should educate herself on their merits. That education starts by consulting the experts. Last year,…