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Would it be a good idea to …

… adopt a minimum-wage increase in Pennsylvania similar to New York’s recently endorsed $15 an hour?

The Empire State is expected to raise the minimum pay of fast-food workers in large chain restaurants over the next six years, beginning with a bump before Dec. 31. Wages will rise even faster in pricey New York City, helping its burger-flippers and other food preparers cope with the city’s higher cost of living.

The change – condemned by some employers in the fast-food industry for singling it out – had been championed by labor leaders for nearly three years. The victory for McWorkers will likely compel other restaurant owners in New York and operators of unrelated businesses there to shell out more money for hourly employees.

Soon after last week’s announcement, Editorial Editor John L. Micek, of pennlive.com in Harrisburg, posed the question on the minds of many people living on this side the Keystone State-New York border. “Should Pennsylvania follow suit?” he wrote in an opinion post.

The minimum wage in this state stands at $7.25 an hour.

Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, previously expressed support for gradually pushing that figure to $10.10, then pegging later increases to the cost of inflation.

As the New York Times reported, the momentum for minimum-wage increases has led to recent action in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Opponents, however, say the rush to lift wages usually results in business slowdowns, with impacted employers compelled to limit hiring or even cut workers. Ultimately, that’s bad for the overall economy, they say.

Can Pennsylvania afford to join the minimum-wage march? Are workers on the lower end of the pay scale overdue for better compensation?

Or, might there be better policies for our lawmakers to pursue that would put additional money in people’s pockets?

Give us your feedback by sending a letter to the editor or posting comments to this editorial at timesleader.com.

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