labor lawAdivision of labor law center

In the spring of 2004 the Maine Legislature voted to increase the minimum wage from $6.25 per hour $6.35 per hour in October of 2004. This two step process now has the current minimum wage rate in Maine at $6.50 per hour. However, in April of 2006 Governor John Baldacci signed into law a measure to raise Maine’s minimum wage to $6.75 per hour on October 2006 and then another increase to $7.00 per hour on October 2007. A recent Economic Policy Study forecasted that about 54,000 Maine workers would be affected by this increase. Governor John Baldacci stated that this increase in Maine’s minimum wage will keep the state on a pace with the rest of New England.

The minimum wage in Maine does not have a training wage or sub-minimum wage for students. Tipped service employees can be paid one-half the minimum hourly wage rate. As a result the minimum cash wage rate increased from $3.18 to $3.25 per hour and the maximum tip credit increased from $3.17 to $3.25 per hour.

According to the U.S. Labor Department all of the New England’s states have higher minimum wage rates in comparison to the federal minimum wage rate of $5.15 per hour. Maine joins twenty-three states in which its lowest paid workers will be making more than the federal minimum wage. Even though Maine Legislature has consistently increased its minimum wage since 2002, the minimum wage is still the lowest among the six New England states.

Workers in Maine who are affected by the increase in the minimum wage are cashiers, fast food workers, dishwashers, housekeepers, retail clerks and everyone else at the bottom of the wage scale. These lowest-paid workers have seen a boost in their wages in order to keep up with rising costs of fuel, food, and other everyday needs.

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