Alexi calling for $22 minimum wage is just a gift to all the unions supporting his mayoral candidacy. Though few unionized workers earn minimum wage, many union workers contractually earn multiples of it. If, for example, the minimum wage for someone bagging groceries is raised to $22 an hour, union officials negotiate using the minimum wage as a benchmark to raise wages for skilled workers, sometimes as much as four-times minimum wage (plus benefits). In other words, raising the minimum wage tends to raise the price of labor across the wage-earning spectrum, reducing the demand for labor across that entire spectrum. @Giannoulias isn't proposing a minimum-wage hike to improve the livelihood of low-paid workers. He is taking this position to appease his union backers.