The minimum wage for workers has been around for over 70 years in the United States. It was back in 1938 when federal law got adopted that employers would have to pay their workers a minimum wage for each hour they worked. This was to protect workers for their labor efforts and not let a boss or company over work their employees while they under paid them too. Since 1938 each U.S. state has been free to set their own minimum wages and today these rates vary from one state to another. Since the inception of the minimum wage, no U.S. State has ever went backwards or made a decline in their minimum wages.
Until now…
Colorado becomes the first U.S. State ever to lower the minimum wage. I’m sure this news isn’t going over well out in Denver and in all the other parts of Colorado. If it makes residents in Colorado feel any better, I can tell you Georgia’s minimum wage is a lot lower than your minimum wage; even with the decrease. The old minimum wage number in Colorado was $7.28 an hour. This means any job a worker takes in Colorado, they would have to earn at least $7.28 an hour or the employer would be at fault. Now the rate is no longer $7.28 an hour and a new minimum wage takes effect; which will be 3 cents lower than the Colorado minimum wage in 2009. The 2010 minimum wage numbers in Colorado is now set at $7.25 an hour. It should be interesting to see how many employees will be affected by these new minimum wage laws in Colorado.
If you’re a worker in Colorado and you make $7.28 an hour right now, please let me know if you take a pay decrease. No worker should be losing 3 cents on their jobs now; if they were indeed making this amount in 2009. If you go by the law; then employers could legally drop a employee’s pay to $7.25 an hour, but I can’t see any boss in Colorado doing this. I could understand hiring the new employees at a rate of $7.25, but not giving a pay cut to an employee that already makes $7.28. If this does happen to you or someone you know living and working in Colorado; then please let me know about it. Let’s spotlight any company, business, or industry that tries to give a 3 cent pay cut to an employee, simply because the laws in Colorado has changed for minimum wages. I support all the $7.28 an hour workers in Colorado and it’s sad to see changes being made for the worse. We need law makers and politicians that want to make changes for the good of our society and anyone who thinks paying a worker less is the answer, should no longer be able to represent you as a citizen of Colorado.