During his State of the Union address tonight, President Obama will announce plans to issue an executive order giving a raise to low-wage workers on new federal contracts, a move that affects thousands of people in the Washington area, the White House says.
Several times over the past year, workers who serve as janitors and food servers at federal landmarks across Washington have protested their wages, which are usually at or close to the federal minimum of $7.25 and hour or the DC minimum of $8.25 an hour. The most recent demonstration came last week, when about 50 janitorial and food-service workers at the Pentagon walked off the job. Similar protests have been carried out at Union Station, the Ronald Reagan Building, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Nationwide, the federal government—through contracts and grants—funds nearly 2 million jobs paying less than $12 an hour, according to the think tank Demos. Many of those positions are filled by food servers and other service workers on military bases, Demos spokesman Alex Aamend says.
Obama’s executive order will raise the minimum wage for contracted workers to $10.10 an hour.
The executive order targeting federal contractors will be part of a broader push by the White House for a blanket increase in the federal minimum wage for all workers, but that has to go through Congress. The White House is pushing for a hike to $10.10 per hour, with annual increases pegged to the rate of inflation.
The federal hourly minimum has remained at $7.25 since 2009. Since then, many states and the District have increased their local standards, with DC, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County all recently passing legislation to raise their minimum wages to $11.50 an hour.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
President Obama Will Raise Minimum Wage for Federal Contract Workers
Plans for the executive order will be announced during Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
During his State of the Union address tonight, President Obama will announce plans to issue an executive order giving a raise to low-wage workers on new federal contracts, a move that affects thousands of people in the Washington area, the White House says.
Several times over the past year, workers who serve as janitors and food servers at federal landmarks across Washington have protested their wages, which are usually at or close to the federal minimum of $7.25 and hour or the DC minimum of $8.25 an hour. The most recent demonstration came last week, when about 50 janitorial and food-service workers at the Pentagon walked off the job. Similar protests have been carried out at Union Station, the Ronald Reagan Building, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Nationwide, the federal government—through contracts and grants—funds nearly 2 million jobs paying less than $12 an hour, according to the think tank Demos. Many of those positions are filled by food servers and other service workers on military bases, Demos spokesman Alex Aamend says.
Obama’s executive order will raise the minimum wage for contracted workers to $10.10 an hour.
The executive order targeting federal contractors will be part of a broader push by the White House for a blanket increase in the federal minimum wage for all workers, but that has to go through Congress. The White House is pushing for a hike to $10.10 per hour, with annual increases pegged to the rate of inflation.
The federal hourly minimum has remained at $7.25 since 2009. Since then, many states and the District have increased their local standards, with DC, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County all recently passing legislation to raise their minimum wages to $11.50 an hour.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
5 Facts About Dumfries, Virginia, the Possible New Home of the Washington Commanders
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People
Should We Care About What’s Left of the Trucker Convoy?
Trucker Convoy Stragglers Get Kicked Out of Racetrack, Form New Movement, Visit the National Mall, Don’t Go Home
2022 Tech Titans
Washingtonian Magazine
June 2022: 101 Reasons to Love Summer in DC
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
A Johnny Cash Statue Is Coming to the Capitol
LGBTQ Pioneer Barney Frank’s Story Is Now a Graphic Novel
Inside the Effort to Revamp the DC Archives
This DC Poet Was Once the USSR’s Biggest Kid Actor
More from News & Politics
March for Our Lives Is Planning a Huge DC Protest Against Gun Violence in June
Dognapping Is Becoming a Problem in DC. Here’s How Pet Owners Can Protect Themselves and Their Pets.
Should We Care About What’s Left of the Trucker Convoy?
5 Facts About Dumfries, Virginia, the Possible New Home of the Washington Commanders
Trucker Convoy Stragglers Get Kicked Out of Racetrack, Form New Movement, Visit the National Mall, Don’t Go Home
The Trucker Convoy Has Given Up on DC Yet Again. We Tried One Last Time to Find Out What They Wanted.
Number of Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs Hits Record Low
The Lincoln Memorial Is 100 Years Old. Here’s How to Celebrate It.