labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The Montana minimum wage increased by 35 cents on January 1, 2009, from $6.55 to $6.90 an hour. The effective minimum wage for most Montana employees will increase again on July 24, 2009 when the federal minimum wage goes to $7.25 per hour.

 

More than 70% of Montana voters backed a hike in the minimum wage, supporting Initiative 151 in 2006. That initiative essentially accounts for the increase in the wage that became effective on January 1, 2009. Each year by September 30, the annual Montana minimum wage increase is announced, based on the CPI for the previous 12 months.

 

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry is the agency that tracked the outcome of Initiative 151.

 

On July 24, 2009, workers in Montana will again receive a minimum wage hike, when the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour kicks in. A worker who is covered by both a state and a federal minimum wage must receive the larger benefit. In Montana, that will be the federal minimum wage. On that date, even the new, higher Montana minimum wage will still be 35 cents per hour below the new 2009 federal minimum wage.

 

Montana employers, like those in other states, are required to display various kinds of labor law posters. In Montana, the posters must include the Montana minimum wage poster. Employers must also show proof of unemployment insurance coverage and workers’ compensation coverage. Fines and penalties can result if an employer does not comply, or if the posters are not prominently displayed.

 

 According to Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly, the increase in the minimum will help “…those Montanans who are struggling to keep up with higher energy and food prices…As the nation’s economy continues to struggle.” He added, “We know that here in Montana, we’re doing everything we can to minimize the impact.” Commissioner Kelly recently received the prestigious Eagle Award from the National Association of State Work Force Agencies.

 

Montana’s Department of Labor & Industry enforces the state’s labor statues. That involves collective bargaining for firefighters and nurses. The agency also enforces the laws prohibiting youths under 18 from working as bartenders. Other activities under the scrutiny of the Department are employment of undocumented workers and discrimination against those workers who use a lawful product such as tobacco during their off-work hours. There is in addition a prohibition against using lie detector tests in the private employment arena.

 

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