Business Record, Jan 26, 2021
A prominent Des Moines small business owner is siding with federal minimum wage advocates who say that “raising wages is good business.” Mike Draper, owner of Raygun LLC, a popular clothing, home goods and printing company in the East Village, participated in a live videoconference today with other business owners from around the country and members of the Committee on Education and Labor... in support of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021. The legislation would raise the federal minimum wage incrementally from $7.25 to an hour to $15 by 2025.
“Paying people fairly leads to greater staff retention, which reduces the cost of hiring and training new people to replace employees who leave,” Draper said in a news release. “And fair pay leads to better quality, better ideas and better customer service.” Draper is a member of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a network of business owners and executives advocating for the increase.
“We’re in the longest period without a raise since the federal minimum wage was enacted to help workers and businesses recover from the Great Depression,” stated Holly Sklar, the organization’s CEO. “Minimum wage increases will go right back into local businesses and help us build a widely shared recovery and resilient economy.” ...