By Michael Sainato
The Guardian, June 9, 2021

Some employers are upending the industry standards by paying their employees better and offering stronger benefits

...  &Pizza, a pizza chain in six states and Washington DC, raised wages at the start of the pandemic and expanded benefits such as providing Election Day as a paid day off. Owner Michael Lastoria said the chain has opened 11 new locations through the pandemic, and had no trouble in hiring new workers at the chain’s starting wages beginning at $16 an hour.

“Higher wages lead to greater consumer spending and...

By Linh Ta
Axios, June 7, 2021

All eyes will be on Iowa and other Republican-led states these next few months to see if an early exit from federal unemployment benefits truly nudges people back to work. ...

... Workers are also now in a position where they feel more empowered to choose jobs they genuinely like, said Mike Draper, owner of Raygun.

• "I think people are just assessing what they do during the day and how they want to be treated and what kind of environment they want to work in," Draper said. ...

Read more

By Paul Wiseman
Associated Press (AP), June 7, 2021

The U.S. economy is sparking confusion and whiplash almost as fast as it’s adding jobs. ...

Economists point mainly to what they call a short-term mismatch: Companies are posting job openings faster than applicants can respond. After all, many Americans are contending with considerable tumult at home — health issues related to COVID-19, child-care problems with schools slow to reopen, career uncertainty after many jobs permanently vanished over the past 15 months. ...

Some say the labor shortage is nothing that can’t be solved the old-fashioned way...

By Ron Southwick
Penn Live/Patriot News, May 31, 2021. Also Marietta Journal

...At a news conference in Lancaster last week, Wolf repeated a now-familiar pitch to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour for a decade. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage mirrors the federal government. ...

Peter Barber, president of Two Dudes Painting Company, which hosted the governor’s event, said businesses would see the benefits of paying better wages. He said his painters start at $14 per hour and go to $15 per hour after 90 days. When companies pay higher wages, they will...

MyChesCo, May 28, 2021

...The governor was joined for a press conference in Lancaster by Rep. Patty Kim, prime sponsor of HB 345 to raise the minimum wage, and local business owners Peter Barber, President, CEO and Co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company and Jennie Groff, CEO and Co-owner of Stroopies, Inc. ...

“We’ve been in business for almost 35 years, and fair pay has been central to our success,” said Peter Barber, CEO of Two Dudes Painting Company in Lancaster, a full service painting company with more than 65 employees. “Our turnover is low...

By William O'Boyle
Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, May 27, 2021. Also Yahoo, Marietta Journal, others

On Wednesday, Wolf was joined by legislators, business owners and advocates to call on the General Assembly to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $12 an hour with a path to $15.

The governor was joined for a press conference in Lancaster by Rep. Patty Kim, prime sponsor of HB 345 to raise the minimum wage, and local business owners Peter Barber, President, CEO and Co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company and Jennie Groff, CEO and Co-owner of Stroopies, Inc.

By Candy Woodall and J.D. Prose
USA Today Network's Pennsylvania State Capital Bureau, May 27, 2021. Also GoErie, others

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday was joined by business owners and Democratic lawmakers in his latest push for a higher minimum wage in Pennsylvania. ...

Peter Barber, CEO and co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company in Lancaster, said he pays a starting wage $14 an hour. After they've worked there for 90 days, he pays them $15 an hour. His company has about 65 employees. 

"I believe raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027 will...

By Gillian McGoldrick
LNP / LancasterOnline, May 26, 2021

Gov. Tom Wolf visited Lancaster city Wednesday morning to repeat his longstanding call to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage....

Peter Barber, the president and CEO of Two Dudes Painting Co., said providing “livable wages” to his workers is a crucial part of recruitment and retention, and as a result the company is not struggling to fill open positions.

By Ali Reid
WFMZ-TV 69 News, May 26, 2021

Governor Wolf is calling for an increase in Pennsylvania's minimum wage. ...

Many local business owners say they're on board, as Wolf says their pay increases are setting the standard for the future.

"Fair pay and benefits have been essential to our success," noted Peter Barber, president of the Two Dudes Painting Co. "Our turnover is low, which saves us a considerable money and time."

By Lauren Rude
ABC 27 News Harrisburg, May 26, 2021. Also WKBN (Ohio).

Governor Tom Wolf joined legislators, business owners and advocates to call on the General Assembly to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $12 an hour with a path to $15. ...

“We’ve been in business for almost 35 years, and fair pay has been central to our success,” Peter Barber, CEO of Two Dudes Painting Company in Lancaster, said.

By Barbara Barr
WGAL News 8, Lancaster, May 26, 2021

Gov. Tom Wolf is calling on lawmakers to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania.

Wolf visited Two Dudes Painting Company in Lancaster on Wednesday to make his case. ...

By WJET / WFXP / YourErie.com, May 26, 2021

Governor Wolf today called on the General Assembly to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $12 an hour, with a path to $15. ...

The governor was joined today by Rep. Patty Kim, prime sponsor of HB 345 to raise the minimum wage, and local business owners Peter Barber, President, CEO and Co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company and Jennie Groff, CEO and Co-owner of Stroopies, Inc. ...

“We’ve been in business for almost 35 years, and fair pay has been central to our success,” said Peter...

By Craig Anderson
Delaware State News, May 19, 2021

With employees making a $15 hourly wage, there’s less staff turnover and retraining needed.

That’s according to Canalside Inn owner Kristen Deptula, who currently pays five workers what some want to see as Delaware’s minimum wage by 2025.

Also, the Rehoboth Beach business owner believes higher paid employees are more likely to spend money.

“They’re able to have a little flexibility with their budget and can go out and have some fun while putting money back into the economy,” she said on Tuesday.

“And they’re happier...

By Lisa Jennings, Holly Petre
Restaurant Hospitality, May 04, 2021

... #5. Virginia’s first minimum wage increase towards $12 an hour went into effect May 1

On May 1, the first in a series of wage increases voted on by the state legislature in 2020 went into effect for the state of Virginia. For the first time in 10 years, workers in Virginia saw the federally mandated $7.25 an hour minimum wage increase to $9.50 an hour. ...

“We advocated for raising Virginia’s minimum wage, which was long stuck at $7.25 an hour, and look forward to the economic boost from this increase,” said Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.

By J.D. Prose
USA Today Network, Pennsylvania State Capital Bureau, May 2, 2021

Attempts to push Congress and the Pennsylvania Legislature to raise the minimum wage have been made sporadically for years....

[Gov.] Wolf said raising the minimum wage would put more money into workers’ pockets, which would help businesses, and help reduce employee turnover for business owners. ...

According to the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage... there are plenty of studies that refute claims that a higher minimum wage would lead to fewer jobs.