Wow Minimum Wage!!

[zurgswife]

Ok I was looking up the minimum wage for my state of PA and found this info...1) is it true? 2) how does the state of Kansas get away with it?

LINK: www.dol.gov/esa/

KANSAS Future Basic Premium Pay after
Effective Minimum Rate Designated Hours 2
Date (per hour) Daily Weekly
$2.65 46

The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

 

[basas]

Ok I was looking up the minimum wage for my state of PA and found this info...1) is it true? 2) how does the state of Kansas get away with it?

LINK: www.dol.gov/esa/

KANSAS Future Basic Premium Pay after
Effective Minimum Rate Designated Hours 2
Date (per hour) Daily Weekly
$2.65 46

The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Some states also have no minimum wage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:US_minimumwage.svg (Great map)

I'm not sure how the system works to tell you the truth...

 

[zurgswife]

That was the map I looked at ...I totally missed the part about no minmum wage....

 

[mickeyfan2]

A state with no minimum wage(MW) must use the federal minimum wage (FMW). A state can set the MW higher but not lower than the FMW.

 

[basas]

A state with no minimum wage(MW) must use the federal minimum wage (FMW). A state can set the MW higher but not lower than the FMW.

So what is the difference between states set at the FMW, and states with "no minimum wage"? Aren't they both the same? And the question still remains, if states can't set the MW lower then the FMW, how does Kansas set it lower?

 

[mickeyfan2]

So what is the difference between states set at the FMW, and states with "no minimum wage"? Aren't they both the same? And the question still remains, if states can't set the MW lower then the FMW, how does Kansas set it lower?

FMW and No MW are the same. Kansas law may have it set below FMW but all employers must pay FMW. Kansas may have set the MW to a rate above the FMW or before there was a FMW but now feels the FMW is enough so left the law as it was.

 

[Kycha]

So what is the difference between states set at the FMW, and states with "no minimum wage"? Aren't they both the same? And the question still remains, if states can't set the MW lower then the FMW, how does Kansas set it lower?

Some employers and employees are exempt from the FMW laws. Farmworkers is one group that is exempt.

"To whom does the minimum wage apply?
The minimum wage law (the FLSA) applies to employees of enterprises that do at least $500,000 in business a year. It also applies to employees of smaller firms if the employees are engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, such as employees who work in transportation or communications or who regularly use the mails or telephones for interstate communications. It also applies to employees of federal, state or local government agencies, hospitals and schools, and it generally applies to domestic workers."

 

[Kycha]

FMW and No MW are the same. Kansas law may have it set below FMW but all employers must pay FMW. Kansas may have set the MW to a rate above the FMW or before there was a FMW but now feels the FMW is enough so left the law as it was.

Actually that is not true.

"What's Wrong With Kansas? Minimum Wage of $2.65 An Hour - 02/23/07

What’s wrong With Kansas? Plenty when it comes to the minimum wage. Jesse Russell has more.
The minimum wage in the state of Kansas is $2.65 per hour. That’s the lowest in the country. Kansas Republicans soundly defeated an attempt to raise the state minimum so that it would be equal to the federal minimum wage - $5.15 per hour. Roughly 19,000 workers in Kansas, in agricultural and certain service jobs are covered by the state minimum and not the federal. Every one of the 63 legislators who voted against raising the state minimum wage were Republican. Earlier in the day there was another bill that would have completely abolished the minimum. That bill narrowly failed in a 56-62 vote. Kansas is the only state in the union with a minimum lower than the federal minimum. And 28 other states have wages higher than the federal."

 

[mickeyfan2]

Actually that is not true.

"What's Wrong With Kansas? Minimum Wage of $2.65 An Hour - 02/23/07

What’s wrong With Kansas? Plenty when it comes to the minimum wage. Jesse Russell has more.
The minimum wage in the state of Kansas is $2.65 per hour. That’s the lowest in the country. Kansas Republicans soundly defeated an attempt to raise the state minimum so that it would be equal to the federal minimum wage - $5.15 per hour. Roughly 19,000 workers in Kansas, in agricultural and certain service jobs are covered by the state minimum and not the federal. Every one of the 63 legislators who voted against raising the state minimum wage were Republican. Earlier in the day there was another bill that would have completely abolished the minimum. That bill narrowly failed in a 56-62 vote. Kansas is the only state in the union with a minimum lower than the federal minimum. And 28 other states have wages higher than the federal."

These are the exemptions under the FMW law. Get the FMW law to include them and state MW is a mute point.

 

[basas]

Thanks for the explanations everyone.

So let me get this straight...if an 'exempted' group is in a "no minimum wage" state like Alabama, they could set it to whatever they wanted? ($.01/hr?) whereas an 'exempted' group in a "same as FMW" state would have to pay at $5.15 because the state minimum wage is equal to the FMW?

 

[mickeyfan2]

Thanks for the explanations everyone.

So let me get this straight...if an 'exempted' group is in a "no minimum wage" state like Alabama, they could set it to whatever they wanted? ($.01/hr?) whereas an 'exempted' group in a "same as FMW" state would have to pay at $5.15 because the state minimum wage is equal to the FMW?

(Unless the state also exempts the workers that the federal governement does)