The Democrat-led Senate easily passed a minimum wage hike last week by a vote of 94-3. Although it looked shaky there for awhile, the bipartisan compromises reached by party leaders worked to ensure a significant level of support for the raise from $5.15 in three stages up to $7.25. It’s the first raise such workers have seen in almost 10 years.

For more information, see Workplace Prof Blog and CNNMoney.