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Malloy, along with five other governors who are also pushing for minimum wage increases, met with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the White House.
“Many of the governors in this room are pushing to raise their state’s minimum wages to benefit more working families and help to grow their economies,” said Obama, according to a statement on the White House website. The assembled Democratic governors "all focused on this in their State of the State addresses.”
Joining Malloy were Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Maryland Gov. Joseph O’Malley, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, all Democrats.
The governors also met with U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, Mary Kay Henry, international president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) , Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, presidential advisor Valerie Jarrett, and others to discuss state-level efforts to raise the minimum wage. (Photo above.)
"Today we did bring Democratic governors to the White House to spend some time talking about a couple of issues that are of critical importance to our constituencies and, I think, to the country," Obama said. "And one of those is the issue of minimum wage and what we can do to give America a raise."
Earlier this month, Malloy unveiled his plan to introduce a bill to steadily increase the minimum wage in Connecticut to $10.10 per hour by 2017. He reiterated that call in his State of the State address. The increase would give Connecticut the highest minimum wage in the nation.
Obama and congressional leaders are leading a national effort to raise the federal minimum wage to that same amount.
“For too long, the minimum wage has not kept up with the cost of living," Malloy said at the time. "When workers earn more money, businesses will have more customers. This modest boost will help those earning the least to make ends meet.”
Malloy and his wife, Cathy, along with the other governors and their spouses will join the president and Michelle Obama at the annual Governors’ Reception and dinner in Washington, D.C.
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