By Tim Rowden
St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune, November 18, 2024
Missouri workers will see their minimum wage increase and begin earning paid sick days following voters’ overwhelming passage of Proposition A on Nov. 5. ...
More than 500 Missouri businesses in the Missouri Business for a Healthy Economy coalition endorsed Proposition A.
David Burmeister, owner of Midwest Pasta Co. in St. Louis, said, “Proposition A will strengthen Missouri’s workforce and businesses. Raising the minimum wage will increase people’s ability to shop at our business and local businesses across Missouri. We’ve seen that paying better wages is better business. Employees are happier at work and do a better job. We also provide paid sick leave because we value our staff and, as a food industry business, we know it isn’t safe for sick employees to come to work.”
Joseph Chevalier, owner of Yellow Dog Bookshop in Columbia said, “Yellow Dog is a Mom and Pop bookshop. Mom and Pops thrive when they are connected to community. We can’t compete with big box stores and big online retailers by shortchanging our employees. We compete by providing a better customer experience. Better customer experience is built on employees who care, and that starts with employers who show they care by how they pay and treat their staff. Proposition A will boost consumer spending and strengthen Missouri’s workforce, businesses and communities.”