Connecticut labor advocates back bill to fine large employers paying less than $15 an hour

Sen. Ed Gomes, Sen. Ed Gomes, Photo: CHRISTINE STUART —CT News Junkie Photo: CHRISTINE STUART —CT News Junkie Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Connecticut labor advocates back bill to fine large employers paying less than $15 an hour 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Hartford daycare was the backdrop Thursday for a press conference on a union-backed bill that would fine large employers who pay their employees less than $15 an hour.

It’s a bill that would catapult Connecticut back onto the national stage for being the first state in the nation to institute such a fine on companies with more than 500 employees. Connecticut made the national spotlight in 2011 when it approved paid sick day legislation and it was the first to pass legislation last year to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017.

Legislation backed by labor advocates this year seeks to fine big corporations like Wal-Mart $1 per hour for each employee paid $15 per hour or less. The fiscal note estimates that about 146,710 of the 743,328 employees who work for firms with at least 500 employees would be covered under the bill. The bill would result in a revenue gain to the state of up to $152.6 million in 2016 and $305.1 million in future years.

Proponents of the legislation say because these 146,710 employees are underpaid they are forced to rely on state programs and subsidies for health insurance and childcare. Since funding to those subsidized programs is on the chopping block this year they are hoping the new revenue from this legislation will help fill in the gap.

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