President Obama issued an executive order Wednesday raising the minimum wage for workers under federal contracts to $10.10 per hour, starting next year.
The move fulfills a pledge Obama made in his State of the Union address last month to take action on his own to raise wages for lower-paid workers on federal projects and at government facilities.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people working under contracts with the federal government to provide services or construction who are currently making less than $10.10 an hour,” the White House said in a statement. “Some examples of the hardworking people who would see their wages go up under this executive order include nursing assistants providing care to our veterans at nursing homes, concessions workers in national parks, people serving food to our troops, and individuals with disabilities working to maintain the grounds on military bases.”
Before signing the order at the White House, Obama said, “right now, there’s a dishwasher at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas making $7.76 an hour — $7.76 an hour. There’s a fast-food worker at Andrews [Air Force Base], right down the street, making $8.91 an hour. There’s a laundry worker at Camp Dodge in Iowa making $9.03 an hour. Once I sign this order, starting next year, as their contracts come up, each of them and many of their fellow coworkers are going to get a raise.”
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