The Nation - News from May 24, 1989

A coalition of civil rights, religious, women’s and other activist groups opened a campaign designed to pressure President Bush to sign a minimum-wage increase that he has promised to veto. “We believe that a veto of this desperately needed legislation would be a tragic step backward for millions of America’s working people and their families,� said Coretta Scott King, co-chairman of the Citizens Committee for a Just Minimum Wage. The group said the first salvo in its effort would be a 30-second radio ad chastising Bush for promising to veto the minimum-wage bill while advocating tax breaks for the wealthy. Congress has passed legislation raising the minimum wage to $4.55 an hour from $3.35 by October, 1991, and allowing employers to pay some new workers a subminimum wage for up to two months. Bush has vowed to veto it; he had offered to support an increase to $4.25 an hour provided all new employees could be paid a subminimum wage for six months.