By Jesse Russell

As the AFL-CIO says, With new management voted in on Tuesday, America's lowest paid workers may soon see their first raise in 10 years. One of future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's top initiatives is to break the log jam put in place by Republicans and raise the federal minimum wage from the current $5.15 per hour to possibly as high as $6.25 per hour. That rate is what Sen. Edward Kennedy had proposed earlier this year, but Republicans had refused to bring to a vote. Kennedy told reporters on Wednesday that party leaders had promised to bring his legislation to a vote – possibly as early as this month. The countries appetite for a higher wage is clear – based on the passing of minimum wage ballot measures in six states on Tuesday. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform now is working with the AFL-CIO to sponsor minimum wage campaigns in 103 cities next week.