Latino Caucus Applauds Minimum Wage Increase

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus released the following statement in response to the passage of a gradual minimum wage increase for working families across Illinois:

“The reality is that the communities we represent are struggling: rents have increased, education costs have skyrocketed, Donald Trump has made healthcare less affordable, and incomes have stayed the same. It is unacceptable that nearly 80 percent of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck, so providing working families across Illinois a raise is long overdue.

“Our vote today to increase the minimum wage is an important step towards equity, ensuring the dignity of working families and addressing the decades of growing income inequality. For too long, big multinational corporations have seen record profits while wages have remained stagnant for working families. A significant portion of Latinos work for hourly wages, so increasing the minimum wage to a living wage will pull thousands of families out of poverty. Higher wages will also help address pay inequities for Latinas as a significant portion of minimum wage workers are in industries dominated by women.

“Expanding opportunity for working families and small businesses is not an either or. The passage of this legislation is the smart thing to do as higher wages will generate billions of dollars in new economic activity for local businesses across the state. We look forward to continue working on the issues impacting our community to ensure that Illinois is truly a place for Latino advancement.”

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus is a collective of legislators who represent districts throughout the state of Illinois and advocate on behalf of Latino families and the state’s vibrant immigrant community.