OPINION:
Earlier this week the Times reported that New York state had passed groundbreaking laws to raise the minimum wage to $15 and provide paid maternal and paternal leave to residents (“New York, California pass $15 minimum wage,” Web, April 4). As a Washington resident, I am thrilled to see New York moving forward on raising the minimum wage and paid family leave.
To support working families, we need both higher wages and the ability to keep earning during demanding times. I’m excited for Washington to be next, and I call on Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council to show leadership. There has already been talk of raising the minimum wage in Washington to $15 by 2020, and a paid-leave bill has been proposed which, if passed, would be the most progressive policy in the country. What Washington needs now is less talk and more action. Families here and around the country have been waiting for too long for better pay and leave policies, and New York and Washington can pave the way for other states to take action.
TERESA SAKON
Washington
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