Raising Minimum Wage CYNTHIA BOWERS: At the pizza parlor his family has run for 60 years, when Dan Costello hears talk about Washington raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, he worries-- and not just about his long-term profits, but also his long-time employees. DAN COSTELLO: Many employees that are making $8.50, $9.00, $9.50, what are their expectations? You know, if the new guy just got a raise, what about me? It's a fair question. CYNTHIA BOWERS: Most of his minimum wage workers are teenagers. SUZANNE CERVANTES: And how may I help you with your carryout order? CYNTHIA BOWERS: Suzanne Cervantes is an exception. The recently widowed grandmother says making ends meet can be a struggle. SUZANNE CERVANTES: It's hard because it only goes so far. CYNTHIA BOWERS: She's actually doing better than millions of other Americans. That's because Illinois is one of 23 states with a higher minimum wage than the $5.15 level set by the federal government nearly a decade ago. This month, voters in six more states overwhelmingly approved giving a raise to minimum wage workers and adding a cost-of-living adjustment. It's an issue that's gaining traction with Americans. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises to make it a priority, putting pressure on President Bush to go along. MAN: I think that we will see a minimum wage increase within the next six or eight months. CYNTHIA BOWERS: An increase that would affect some 15 million Americans who currently earn less than $7.25 an hour-- people like Suzanne Cervantes, who never worried about minimum wage until her husband passed away. SUZANNE CERVANTES: Never really paid attention to it, because I had my husband. Now it makes a difference. CYNTHIA BOWERS: For her and her boss, who's already trying to figure out where the money will come from. DAN COSTELLO: If you're going to let your profits decrease over time, the business is going to dry up and die. And that's not good for anybody. CYNTHIA BOWERS: Least of all, he says, for the people his family business keeps on its payroll.