Fighting for a living wage in Hawaiʻi
Workers in Hawaiʻi are rallying at their State Capitol to raise the state’s minimum wage for the first time since 2018. The "What A Day" podcast discusses how workers are being affected by low wages in the highest cost-of-living state in the nation.
Wage measures still alive
A bill in the state House of Representatives that would increase the minimum wage cleared a committee hurdle Tuesday.
Raise Up Hawaiʻi demands higher minimum wage
An increased minimum wage would not only put food on families’ tables but put money in their pockets for spending at local businesses.
Amid inflation fears, Hawaiʻi business owners and consumers brace for rising prices
Consumer prices nationwide reached their highest levels in a decade last month, potentially impacting local businesses and consumers.
A cautious legislature, locked in the capitol, played it safe
Critics hoped the pandemic would be the catalyst for significant changes to address longterm problems facing Hawaiʻi. But the budget shortfall dominated the 2021 session.
$12 minimum wage hike clears key Senate committees
In recent years there’s been increasing support from the state’s leading lawmakers and Democratic Party to pay workers a living wage, but the gap between that figure and what lawmakers have been willing to pass remains wide.
Minimum wage hike up to timing
Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, makes a minimum wage increase vital for low-income workers, including many who have been on the pandemic’s front lines.
Hawaiʻi legislators could boost minimum wage to $12 next year
A bill to raise Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage to $12 passed unanimously out of its first committee Monday, with more than 180 individuals and groups testifying in favor, most saying it should be much higher.
Hawaiʻi legislature prepares to conclude, transparency advocates cry foul
Hawaiʻi’s 2020 legislative session was hallmarked by social distancing measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 that may also have disenfranchised the public.
Aim higher for Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage
Job losses have not been linked to past raises. The EITC has not sufficiently offset poverty levels. Nearly half the population barely gets by.
Minimum wage hike bill advances, but critics say it’s still not enough
A bill to hike Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage is moving to the full house, but critics say it still falls short of what a person needs to live in the 50th state.
Working families need more relief
The statistics about how many of Hawaiʻi’s people struggle look worse with each passing year, so plainly the safety net needs reinforcement.
Civil Cafe 2020 legislative preview rehashes minimum wage, homelessness
While it is terrific that state legislators acknowledge that the cost of living is out of reach for most Hawaiʻi residents, it is also clear that the proposed $13 an hour is not a “livable wage.”
Advocates rally at the Capitol to demand higher minimum wage
Signs read, “Don’t make me leave Hawaiʻi,” echoing the frustration from advocates for raising the minimum.
Hawaiʻi’s economy will benefit from a higher minimum wage
Opponents can only make disingenuous arguments that rely on irrelevant information.
SNAP benefits in jeopardy under Trump proposal
Nearly 16,500 Hawaiʻi residents could lose their SNAP benefits and more under a new rule change proposed by the Trump Administration
A living wage will help keep families here
Hawaiʻi trails 11 other states where the minimum wage is higher than ours.
The call for a living wage
Lawmakers are looking to raise the minimum wage to $12.50 in 2024 for those who get healthcare from their employers; an increase of about $0.50 an hour each year, and simply not enough.
WAM sends minimum wage bill to Senate
The Senate’s Ways and Means committee passed Senate Bill 789 on Monday, Feb. 25, 2019, setting it up for a final vote on the Senate floor.
Raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour
In a state that has one of the highest costs of living and lowest unemployment rates, it’s time for lawmakers to put things back in balance for workers.