Biegel to introduce minimum wage bill
City Council to discuss possible pay increase for Eau Claire workers
Susan MacLaughlin
Issue date: 5/9/05 Section: Campus News
A new bill that would restrict Wisconsin cities from raising minimum wages could thwart the efforts of Eau Claire politicians and citizens to raise the city's minimum wage.
On Tuesday, the state Assembly voted 58-37 in favor of a bill aimed at restricting Wisconsin cities from setting their own minimum wages.
Taking away cities' right to adjust their own minimum wage would hurt communities, said senior Andrew Werthmann, a Student Senator and co-founder of the Eau Claire citizen action group, Citizens for a Fair Wage.
The city needs to raise its minimum wage so lower-income citizens will be able to afford goods and services, he said.
Eau Claire City Council member Toby Biegel is currently proposing a minimum wage increase in Eau Claire. His plan asks for the city to incrementally raise minimum wage by $1.50 to $6.65 by July 1, 2006.
Biegel's minimum wage proposal will be introduced to the City Council on Tuesday.
Biegel represents District 3, which encompasses UW-Eau Claire. He could not be reached for comment Friday or Sunday.
UW-Eau Claire's Student Senate voted in favor of a resolution supporting a minimum wage increase in the city by a vote of 14-13-1 on May 2. A vocal minority spoke out against raising minimum wage in Eau Claire, including Student Senate President Aaron Olson, who stepped down as chair at the meeting to debate and vote on the issue.
"(Raising the minimum wage) has to be done right, and doing it at a local level at a time when the economy is recessing is not really the best game plan," he said.
Olson said his primary concern with the proposed wage increase for Eau Claire is it would ultimately hurt students.
"By raising cities' minimum wage, the only people really who will be hurt are students at the university," he said.
Businesses can make up for minimum wage increases by passing the cost back to customers, but the university does not have that option, Olson said. The increased minimum wage would likely force the university to either scale back on services offered to students or on the number of jobs offered to students.
On Tuesday, the state Assembly voted 58-37 in favor of a bill aimed at restricting Wisconsin cities from setting their own minimum wages.
Taking away cities' right to adjust their own minimum wage would hurt communities, said senior Andrew Werthmann, a Student Senator and co-founder of the Eau Claire citizen action group, Citizens for a Fair Wage.
The city needs to raise its minimum wage so lower-income citizens will be able to afford goods and services, he said.
Eau Claire City Council member Toby Biegel is currently proposing a minimum wage increase in Eau Claire. His plan asks for the city to incrementally raise minimum wage by $1.50 to $6.65 by July 1, 2006.
Biegel's minimum wage proposal will be introduced to the City Council on Tuesday.
Biegel represents District 3, which encompasses UW-Eau Claire. He could not be reached for comment Friday or Sunday.
UW-Eau Claire's Student Senate voted in favor of a resolution supporting a minimum wage increase in the city by a vote of 14-13-1 on May 2. A vocal minority spoke out against raising minimum wage in Eau Claire, including Student Senate President Aaron Olson, who stepped down as chair at the meeting to debate and vote on the issue.
"(Raising the minimum wage) has to be done right, and doing it at a local level at a time when the economy is recessing is not really the best game plan," he said.
Olson said his primary concern with the proposed wage increase for Eau Claire is it would ultimately hurt students.
"By raising cities' minimum wage, the only people really who will be hurt are students at the university," he said.
Businesses can make up for minimum wage increases by passing the cost back to customers, but the university does not have that option, Olson said. The increased minimum wage would likely force the university to either scale back on services offered to students or on the number of jobs offered to students.
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