Murphy and Democrats agree on $15 minimum wage, but not how to get there

Gov. Phil Murphy made it a top campaign promise. Democrats who control the Legislature have voted several times already to do it.

But Murphy and Democrats are "not anywhere close" to aligning on the details of how to get to the $15 hourly minimum wage they all agree must be done in New Jersey.

During a round table with workers in Newark on Wednesday, Murphy said he met last week with legislative leaders about making the wage hike and earned sick leave one of their top policy priorities now that Democrats have full control of the State House.

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But the two sides come to the minimum wage issue from different angles. While some Democratic leaders favor making exemptions to a $15 hourly wage, Murphy campaigned supporting a "clean" bill without carve-outs for certain workers, such as teenagers.

"It still is my position. Others have different positions. But we've studied this pretty extensively," Murphy said. "I'm confident we'll get there," he added.

When asked if he would reject a proposal that had exemptions, Murphy said, "We're not anywhere close to this yet. So let's give us a chance."

The timing and phasing in of a wage increase is also in question. Murphy did not have details of that on Wednesday, his first full day in office, but said he understands the dynamics of different business sectors and "you can't get there overnight."

Democrats have wanted for years to significantly raise the state's minimum wage but were blocked by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Voters in 2013 approved raising the minimum wage by $1 an hour and incrementally each year thereafter, but Democrats largely believe that a much higher rate is needed for workers to survive here. The current wage is $8.60, a 16-cent increase from last year.

Christie vetoed a bill last year that would have increased the minimum wage over five years to $15 an hour, saying that such increases would be burdensome to businesses and that they would likely lay off workers to compensate.

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Analilia Mejia, director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, a driving force behind the wage increase, said that, like Murphy, Democratic lawmakers had campaigned in their election bids last year on a promise to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Her organization is against exemptions.

Given the differences between the two sides over details of how to increase the minimum wage, she said, "I am clear that this is going to be a legislative fight."

"The Democrats are in power. We're hoping that they actually live up to all of the pieces that they've campaigned on. And that's not just the governor; I feel like we've convinced the governor. What we're working really hard [on] is to convince legislators, the Senate president and the Assembly speaker," she said. "Aren't they responsible to their constituents?" Mejia added.

Sweeney's office did not respond to an email seeking comment on the legislative priorities for the wage bill. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin declined to discuss details, but said in a statement: “I look forward to discussing this further with Gov. Murphy and the Assembly Democratic caucus as we work toward our shared goal of an increased minimum wage.”

At Wednesday's round table, Murphy listened and took notes as low-wage workers told him about living paycheck to paycheck and their struggles working multiple jobs to pay bills. He was joined by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Sen. Ron Rice, Assemblyman Ralph Caputo and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin.

Faheem Ra'Ooof Jr., a 27-year-old who works at the Irvington Public Library, said he gets paid bi-weekly and his paycheck is spent by the Sunday after he gets paid. He struggles to pay off student loans, he said, which is also blocking him from being able to build his credit. He'd like to move out of his parents' house and start a family, but said he's in no position at his current wage.

"It's a struggle to just live on the wages that we're getting paid now. I'm a state worker. To me, I feel like it's unacceptable for a state worker to be relying on government assistance, as some do. I just feel like the $15 minimum would definitely help," he said.

Even though Murphy and fellow Democrats have expressed confidence that they'll reach consensus, the new governor may find an unlikely ally in Republicans should negotiations with the majority stall. Sen. Tom Kean Jr., the Republican leader, renewed his call Wednesday for Murphy to work with his party on increasing the wage.

“For Democrats who have been critical of single-party government in Washington, they should use this opportunity to demonstrate to the public how they can manage that responsibility better in Trenton,” Kean said in a statement. “They may be surprised to learn that there’s room for bipartisan agreement on significant issues like the minimum wage, but that can’t happen if they choose to go it alone.”