Amazon Raises Minimum Wage to $15 for All Employees
*By Carlo Versano*
Amazon said Tuesday it will raise the minimum wage for all its workers in the U.S. to $15 an hour.
The e-commerce giant announced in a [blog post](https://blog.aboutamazon.com/working-at-amazon/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-to-15-for-all-us-employees) that the change would be effective Nov. 1, include all full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees and that there would be no conditions attached to the raise.
Further, Jay Carney, the former Obama press secretary who heads Amazon ($AMZN) corporate affairs, said the company will advocate for an increase in the federal minimum wage, which has been at $7.25 since 2009.
The company said 250,000 employees and 100,000 seasonal hires will benefit from the changes. Whole Foods employees, who have begun organizing for a union, will be included. Amazon bought Whole Foods last year for nearly $14 billion.
In a press release, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said, "We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we wanted to lead."
Amazon has been under increasing pressure from Congress, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), over wages and work conditions at its fulfillment centers.
Cheddar News takes a look at The Day Ahead as a slate of earnings is due to be reported from some of the country's biggest banks, including JPMorgan, PNC, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. March retail sales are also on tap to be released.
Folks are starting to book summer travel despite inflation concerns. Hayley Berg, chief economist at online travel agency Hopper, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to save when planning your trip.
Cheddar News is highlighting companies with a focus on sustainability for Earth Month. Ashley Allen, chief sustainability officer with Oatly, joined Cheddar News to discuss her company's mission to deliver products that have a minimal environmental impact. "We want to make it easy for people to eat better and live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet's resources," she said.
Anthony Saccaro, founder and president of Providence Financial, joined Cheddar News to discuss Thursday's trading session as stocks and indexes showed positive gains following some economic data but fears of a recession continue to grow.
Some well-known iconic and historic cars are getting a modern twist this year. Cheddar News' Michelle Castillo checked in with some high-profile car executives to discuss the upgrades to some of the cars folks have loved for decades.
