By Joe Hallett
Columbus Dispatch, March 28, 2013
Appearing today with workers at Dempsey's Restaurant, a popular Downtown eatery, Sen. Sherrod Brown campaigned for support for a bill that would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 over three years.
The Ohio Democrat is co-sponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would increase the minimum hourly wage for the first time since 2007 -- and mean the first increase for tipped employees in 20 years.
Brown said that the federal minimum wage, and even Ohio's minimum wage which is 60-cents higher at $7.85 an hour, are "not near enough for people to have any decent kind of standard of living. If the minimum wage had kept up with the cost of living since 1968 it would be $10.50 today."
... [Brown said] when you increase the minimum wage it increases GDP (gross domestic product), studies show, over $30 billion and that $30 billion is economic activity generated from...employees with a higher minimum wage. They are much more likely to spend that money than almost any other group of wage earners, and put that money back into the economy, and that generates job growth." ...
Mark Dempsey, owner of the restaurant, said his employment fluctuates between 18 and 25 employees and he pays his non-tipped employees (except dishwashers) $10 an hour. While his tipped employees start at the minimum wage for tipped earners of $3.97 an hour, Dempsey said they could still use a higher minimum wage to help make ends meet. Heather Ross, a tipped employee and manager of the restaurant, said raising the minimum wage would reduce the employee turnover rate, cut training costs, and increase production by causing employees to take more pride in their jobs.
Under Brown's bill, the federal minimum wage would be increased in three 95-cent increments by 2015, and then after 2016 keep up with the cost of living.
Copyright 2013 Columbus Disptach