MICHIGAN — On Monday, a coalition consisting of community, social justice, and labor organizations was formed. It will focus on getting a proposal to appear on the Nov. 4 ballot that would increase the minimum wage statewide. Michigan’s current minimum wage is $7.40 an hour. In a report, Frank Houston, the director of the Restaurant Opportunity Center of Michigan, said, 

“It’s highly likely that we’ll be moving forward in a matter of days to submit language to the Board of Canvassers.” A person cannot raise a family or support himself or herself properly on minimum wage, supporters say.  Karla Swift, president of the AFL-CIO in Michigan, agrees with that view. “The failure to pay employees a livable minimum wage is bad for workers, and it is bad for our state,” Swift told the press. 

Democrats sponsored three proposed bills in the Legislature, each calling for the minimum wage to increase to either $9 or $10 an hour. President Barack Obama is expected to ask for an increase in the minimum wage by the end of 2016. Some groups including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce are opposed to raising the minimum wage and say the move would only push employers to cut down their workforces.