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
“Be Careful How You Talk to Us”: Trump Appointee Gets an Earful in Anacostia
A Large Anti-Trump March in DC Is Scheduled for April 5
Trump Goes After Woke at the National Zoo, DC Restaurants Hope to Overturn I-82, and Peak Bloom Looms
What to Know About the April 5 Anti-Trump Protest in DC
Cora Masters Barry Dressed Down Ed Martin, a Tourist Brought Measles to DC, and House GOP Floats Idea of Changing the City’s Name to “District of America”
Washingtonian Magazine
April Issue: The Secret World of Luxury Real Estate
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
The Cherry Blossoms Aren’t DC’s Only Interesting Trees
How a Lunch With Michelle Obama Led to Netflix’s “The Residence”
How Trump’s Return-to-Office Order Is Impacting the DC Real-Estate Scene
After Decades, the Full African American Civil War Memorial Museum Is Finally Coming
More from News & Politics
What to Know About the April 5 Anti-Trump Protest in DC
Tariffs Cause Jitters, Trayon White Wants His Old Job Back, and Barack Obama Visited the Cherry Blossoms
DC’s Episcopal Bishop, Mariann Budde, on Trump, Kindness, and Respect
Canada Bought Anti-Tariff Ads on DC Bus Stops
Black Lives Matter Plaza Is Gone
DC-Area Law Schools Are Seeing a Surge in Applications This Year
Trump Ponders Third Term, Police Confiscated a Kite Near the Airport, and We Found a Sandwich That Contains an Entire Pupusa
Trump Goes After Woke at the National Zoo, DC Restaurants Hope to Overturn I-82, and Peak Bloom Looms