HWC Testimony 2/26/22 against HB2510 and in support of SB 2018
Although the Hawaii Workers Center supports some of the provisions in HB2510, we
oppose the delayed timetable for raising the minimum wage. It already costs more than
$19 an hour for a single adult with no children to just barely make ends meet in Hawaiʻi
today. Working families cannot survive on this form of minimum compensation.
HB2510 would only get workers to $18 an hour by 2030—far too slow! By 2026,
HB2510 would put workers at $14 an hour, which is almost the exact equivalent of
where workers were left in 2018 with $10.10— well short of a living wage. The
Hawaii Workers Center favors raising the minimum wage to $25 by 2025!
Low-wage workers in Hawaii must reach $18 an hour by 2026 if not sooner, if working
families are to sufficient relief from the hardships imposed on them by the economy and
the pandemic.
The Senate has passed and given the House a better bill (SB2018) which would raise
the minimum wage to $18 by 2026 bill. It is now up to the House to agree to the Senate
proposal and provide more substantial relief to Hawaii’s low-wage workers. We urge
you to send SB2018 to the governor’s desk for signature instead of this bill.
Our members and allies intend to join the Raise Up Hawai’i rally at the capitol on March
8 to ensure that the voices of workers are heard when the House is considering its
position on the minimum wage bills.