Miami-Dade teachers approved a new contract by a nearly 4-to-1 margin. The new 3-year agreement immediately raised base starting salaries by $2000 to $36,250, retroactive to July 1. Salaries will reach $40,000 by the end of the 2008-9 school year. The agreement affects 21,000 union and nonunion teachers.
A new study released by Paul Wolfson of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College shows that raising the minimum wage does not cause job loss. The District of Columbia and 29 states, including Florida, now have minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage of $5.15.