The Pennsylvania State Capitol is seen, Monday, June 30, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Aimee Dilger)
Beyond Labor Day, the fight to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage continues as union members mobilize across the state. They’re urging lawmakers to raise the wage to $15 an hour.

More than 47,000 Pennsylvania workers earn the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour or less. Luwaunna Adams, a member of the Service Employees International Union local 32BJ who works cleaning office buildings in downtown Pittsburgh, said she wants lawmakers to ensure people get a living wage.

“What can you do with $7.25? You can’t even take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your family properly,” said Adams. “And from my understanding, $15 is, like, minimum – but really, to be able to take care of yourself as a single person, I think it’s like $22 or $23 an hour.”

Two years ago, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill to raise the state minimum wage to $15 by 2026, but the Senate hasn’t acted.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s stalled budget proposal includes increasing the wage to $15 dollars an hour. He has pointed out it could bring in about $100 milliona year in revenue.

SEIU 32BJ Vice President for Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Kentucky, Sam Williamson called it “embarrassing” that Pennsylvania hasn’t raised its wage from the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour since 2009.

He said union members in both political parties want lawmakers to boost wages, cut costs and allow local wage control. Williamson added that raising the wage could also help small businesses and strengthen the state’s economy.

“Every single state surrounding Pennsylvania has a higher minimum wage than Pennsylvania,” said Williamson. “We’re not concerned that raising the minimum wage is going to negatively impact businesses. In fact, when working people have more money in their pockets, they spend it where they live. They spend it in those same small businesses.”

Pennsylvania’s minimum wage matches the federal rate, and tipped workers receive a base wage of just $2.83 an hour, with the expectation that their tips will to bring them to the full minimum.