Appeals Court Ruling Allows Fight for Minimum Wage Increase To Continue

| July 26, 2018 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/01/courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:291;s:4:"file";s:42:"2015/01/courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992-336x237.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:237;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992-375x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:375;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:22:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:291;s:4:"file";s:19:"courtroom_gavel.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"courtroom_gavel-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"courtroom_gavel-336x237.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:237;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"courtroom_gavel-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"courtroom_gavel-300x291.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:291;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"courtroom_gavel-375x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:375;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"courtroom_gavel-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"full-1474560181249";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:291;s:4:"file";s:34:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484.jpg";}s:23:"thumbnail-1474560181249";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"medium-1474560181249";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-336x237.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:237;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-icon-1474560181249";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:34:"wbhm-featured-square-1474560181249";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-300x291.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:291;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:36:"wbhm-featured-carousel-1474560181249";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-375x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:375;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"post-thumbnail-1474560181249";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"full-1474560229128";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:230;s:4:"file";s:34:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560181249.jpg";}s:23:"thumbnail-1474560229128";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560181249-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"medium-1474560229128";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560181249-336x188.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:188;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-icon-1474560229128";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:40:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560181249-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:34:"wbhm-featured-square-1474560229128";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560181249-300x230.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:230;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:36:"wbhm-featured-carousel-1474560229128";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560062484-375x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:375;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"post-thumbnail-1474560229128";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560181249-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"full-1474560260992";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:412;s:6:"height";i:291;s:4:"file";s:34:"courtroom_gavel-e1474560251322.jpg";}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:21146;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15513;s:7:"percent";d:26.640000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/01/courtroom_gavel-e1474560260992.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:21146;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15513;s:7:"percent";d:26.640000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1619663554 
1532616422

A federal appeals court cleared the way Wednesday for minimum wage workers in Birmingham to continue to fight for higher pay.

In a closely watched national debate over pre-emption, the court acknowledged race may have been a factor in the Alabama legislature’s decision to reverse Birmingham’s uniform minimum wage increase.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals says the legislature may have violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment when it overturned Birmingham’s minimum wage increase.

Birmingham is majority black, and so is the city council. The legislature reversed the minimum wage increase without support from any black lawmakers.

Plaintiffs say black employees in Birmingham earn up to 27 percent less than white workers in hourly jobs.

Alabama uses the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Birmingham wants to increase it to $10.10

Workers filed suit in federal district court and it was dismissed. The action this week comes as a result of their appeal.

A district court will now decide what’s next.

 

54% of support comes from members

 

Alabama coal mine keeps digging after hundreds of fines and a fatal explosion

Following the death of a grandfather, Crimson Oak Grove Resources has left a community afraid for their homes and lives. An expert warns one resident may need to evacuate her home while she still can.

Florida’s 6-week abortion ban will have a ‘snowball effect’ on residents across the South

Abortion rights advocates say the ban will likely force many to travel farther for abortion care and endure pregnancy and childbirth against their will.

Attitudes among Alabama lawmakers softening on Medicaid expansion

Alabama is one of ten states which has not expanded Medicaid. Republican leaders have pushed back against the idea for years.

Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says

The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.

Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?

Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care

Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.

More Birmingham Minimum Wage Coverage