Rodric Bray: “If you want to get people to work, you’re going to have to start paying them a little more.”
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Editorial: Little evidence jobless aid root of worker shortage
Fact Sheet: Debunking GOP Myths about the Minimum Wage
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today welcomed Indiana Senate Pro Tem Rodric Bray to the conversation about workers’ wages after Bray admitted late last week that wages would have to increase in order to get Hoosiers back to work. This stunning admission – factually right and supported by economists (see below) – conflicts with Bray’s colleagues in the Indiana Republican Party who’d rather abide by their extreme partisanship than acknowledge this policy fact. Here’s what Rodric Bray said:
Indiana Public Media: “Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said it’s time for employers to step up.
‘I’m not an expert in economics but I did take a few of those classes in college and I think that’s how that works, yeah,’ Bray said. ‘If you want to get people to work, you’re going to have to start paying them a little more.’”
“Rodric Bray revealed what Indiana Democrats and already Hoosiers knew: the Indiana Republican Party understands that Hoosier wages must increase – but they’d rather abide by a partisan litmus test than create a better future for the 892,000 workers who earn a minimum wage in our state,” said Lauren Ganapini, executive director for the Indiana Democratic Party. “Indiana Democrats are ready to get to work for Hoosiers, and we hope other Republicans follow Senator Bray’s lead in joining the collective effort to strengthen the state’s workforce — which would include raising the minimum wage. Let’s deliver this common-sense solution to Hoosier families.”
As it stands, about 892,000 Hoosiers (30-percent of Indiana’s workforce) currently earn a minimum wage – including more than 550,000 women. Raising the minimum wage would help lift Hoosiers out of poverty and provide better opportunities for their families. The Indiana Democratic Party has been consistent in its call to get this done for Hoosier families.
Micah Pollak, Economist: “…if a couple hundred dollars a week is enough to convince a worker not to work for you, then I think you need to question what kind of work environment and pay are you offering.”
Andrew Butters, IU Professor: “If we need to see more employment then wages might need to go up.”
Rachel Blakeman, Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Community Research Institute: “Blakeman said the best way for employers to attract employees is to raise their wages. According to her, it’s still to early to see how many employers have decided to do this.
‘When you’re driving around, you don’t see people advertising that they’re paying $8 an hour, they’re advertising that they’re paying $12 or $15 and $19 an hour,’ said Blakeman. ‘So we think that there’s probably some upward pressure on wages to a certain extent, but we don’t know yet exactly how that is going to play out so well it will be later this year at earliest.’
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