By Diana Reese
Washington Post, Feb 20, 2014
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two small business owners who decided it was only fair to pay their employees more than the minimum wage were given “Bacon Awards” in a sidewalk ceremony Wednesday by Organizing for Action – Missouri, a nonpartisan social advocacy group. Supporters gathered in Kansas City’s charming Brookside neighborhood to honor Pam Hausner, owner of Big Vision Media Group, a small marketing agency and certified B corporation, and Jeremy Neff, who with his wife Stacy owns One More Cup, a socially-conscious coffee shop. Both were presented with “bacon bouquets.”
“A business owner should look at the triple bottom line — people, planet and profit,” Hausner said. ...
For Neff and his wife, who opened their shop five years ago this week, it was a matter of “doing the math” to figure out how to do the right thing and pay their employees more than the minimum wage. “It builds up everyone,” Neff told the crowd. “It builds up the local economy, the state economy, the national economy.” He said failing to increase the minimum wage is “hurting people.”
... Gap announced it was raising the minimum wage for 65,000 retail workers employed in its stores across the country. Hourly pay will go up to $9 in 2014 and $10 in 2015 for employees in Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy stores. ...
Diana Reese is a journalist in Overland Park, Kan. Follow her on Twitter at @dianareese.
Copyright 2014 Washington Post