Roundtable discussion on increasing the minimum wage
By Nestor Licanto | Friday, May 5th 2023
KUAM News | With Government of Guam workers enjoying across-the-board pay increases to help offset the soaring cost of living, what about the private sector? Senator Roy Quinata was looking to start that conversation as he hosted an informational briefing today on raising the minimum wage.
Quinata, the committee chairman, says he understands there are strong feelings for and against a minimum wage increase, and wants to hear both sides before coming up with any legislation. He began the informational briefing by reading the testimony of Noah Austin, a father of four, who says he's one of the many surviving paycheck-to-paycheck.
"The working class people of Guam are struggling. We get paid less than the statesiders do, while our cost of living is higher. Many business minded individuals say its best to let the market dictate wages, the market is not concerned with working people and their abiity to survive," he said.
"I'm tired of the business interests being put before the working class people's interests and our interests are simply having the ability to survive and live decently in the modern age. I'm tired of the excuses as to why the working class people cannot be helped."
"We either care about the working class or we don't. Without the working class nothing could get done. The economy would screech to a halt. I await the day the working class is given the respect they deserve."
But the local business community, who was well represented at the briefing, says the hike would hurt especially under the current economic climate.
Guam Chamber of Commerce president Catherine Castro says companies would have to cut hours, lay off staff, or be forced to raise prices to cover higher salaries. She says if the government really wants to help, "Why not support workforce development and training programs designed to enhance skill sets and promote workforce ready citizens, why not restructure our welfare programs to remove the current disincentives to work or receive wage gains, why not continue to provide our unskilled workers the opportunity to acquire the relevant job skills necessary to move up the career ladder that can only come with on the job training and at wages that make sense to our businesses and job creators."
The current Guam minimum wage is $9.25/hour, last raised by the Guam Legislature in September 2021. The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, but several jurisdictions have seen drastic raises such as Washington, DC where its $16.25/hour.
Source: https://www.kuam.com/story/48856809/roundtable-discussion-on-increasing-the-minimum-wage