Gabrielle Russon
Democrats and advocates warned that a bill allowing some workers to be paid less than minimum wage was vague and would be exploited by employers looking to save money.
“We fought so hard to actually get minimum wage,” said Rep. Felicia Robinson, a Miami Gardens Democrat. “I don’t want us to turn it back.”
Despite the opposition, HB 541 was voted through 14-6 during the Commerce Committee hearing Monday, clearing the way for it to reach the House floor.
“It’s not really about paying people less,” argued bill sponsor Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, saying people in work-study programs, pre-apprenticeships or internships should be exempt from the minimum wage.
Instead, the Belleview Republican said, “It’s not hard to see how people have been completely shut out of opportunities for training because of a one-size-fits-all approach set forth in the Constitution. This bill allows people to waive that right for a specific situation.”
Florida voters approved a $15 minimum wage in 2020.
Under Chamberlin’s amended bill, employees could voluntarily opt to be paid below the minimum wage for up to nine months or two college semesters.
Chamberlin said he hopes those people will learn new skills that will serve them better in the long run in their careers.
“An unintended consequence of Florida’s constitutional minimum wage is that it cripples an employer’s ability to provide more opportunities for unskilled workers in the areas of pre-apprenticeship and education,” Chamberlin said. “This is having an impact on our young people and those seeking retraining in other more profitable fields of work.”
However, Florida AFL-CIO Director of Politics and Public Policy Rich Templin said the bill failed to define internships or pre-apprenticeships or say which industries could be allowed to offer lower wages.
“It places too much authority in the employer who has every incentive to figure out how to pay $7.25 an hour, as opposed to $14 an hour,” Templin said. “I know that that’s not the intent of the bill, but that could be the outcome if we pass the bill as written.”
If passed, the bill would take effect July 1.
The Legislature is considering other changes that would require small employers to use E-Verify to crack down on hiring undocumented workers and weaken the state’s child labor laws.
7 comments
PeterH
April 8, 2025 at 6:46 am
Every worker regardless of age or disability should receive a minimum wage. No exceptions!
Michael K
April 8, 2025 at 7:26 am
This is as stupid as the performative Gulf of Mexico name change. Neither of these will stick. The only thing this accomplished is Floridas race to the bottom.
LexT
April 8, 2025 at 9:26 am
I think it should be okay to let the market set the price for labor. People aren’t forced to take jobs. Most people do not stay at minimum wage for long because they are able to find higher paying jobs.
JustBabs
April 8, 2025 at 10:27 am
Florida AC techs and plumbers, coming to your house, will ALWAYS be ‘trainees” making $7.25/hr. It was bad enough that they weren’t even certified by the state, now they will be perpetual trainees, working on commission. Very hard to find a trustworthy company. Make sure you homeowners follow them around so they don’t sabatoge your systems to create an expensive fix and ask the company you hire to provide full details on the technician they send to your house, including training and certifications. This is what happens in a state with no unions.
JD
April 8, 2025 at 10:39 am
Let’s be honest, this part is ridiculous:
“It’s not really about paying people less,” argued bill sponsor Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, saying people in work-study programs, pre-apprenticeships, or internships should be exempt from the minimum wage.
Why is that a problem? Because many trades require up to six years of apprenticeship before you can even sit for a licensing exam. Expecting someone to earn less than minimum wage during that entire period is just a way to maintain the “good ol’ boy” system, and it ensures gatekeeping stays intact while pushing out capable workers who can’t afford to work for scraps.
Once again, the so-called BananaRepublicans reveal their hypocrisy. It’s like opposing abortion while refusing to support the children born into poverty by teenage mothers.
“It’s not the heat. It’s the stupidity.”
JD
April 8, 2025 at 10:48 am
The only potential saving grace in his wording is “pre-apprenticeship”. That should be aptly defined in duration and criteria, while counting towards apprenticeship hours / years.
Linwood Wright
April 8, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Guess what will happen to anybody who accepts this pittance of an hourly rate for “job training purposes”?
They’ll be fired as soon as their one year is up, an they’ll be replaced with another sucker.