By Paul Ausick
24/7 Wall St., December 15, 2016

Given a chance to have their say, voters say “Yes” to raising the minimum wage. ... The federal minimum wage, set in 2009 and unchanged since, is $7.25. In 21 states, that remains the current minimum. In 29 other states (30 if we count the District of Columbia), minimum wage levels vary between $7.50 an hour (New Mexico) and a current high of $11.50 in D.C.

On November 8, voters in Arizona, Colorado and Maine approved annual increases that lift the minimum wage to $12 an hour...

By Jordan Larimore
Joplin Globe, Dec 11, 2016

...  Give Missourians a Raise — the same group that successfully campaigned for a ballot initiative raising the state's minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.50 per hour in 2006 — is considering multiple minimum wage proposals to try to bring before voters next year, said Lew Prince, the group's treasurer. That effort could include a petition drive. ...

The current minimum wage in Missouri is $7.65 per hour, but the 2006 measure that was passed also tied the wage to the Consumer Price Index, meaning it is evaluated...

By Michael Lastoria
US Department of Labor Blog, December 7, 2016

&pizza is a company that has been, and will continue to be, built on the shoulders of our employees. Fair pay is a vital ingredient to our company’s success, culture, and the wellbeing of all 490 members of what we call our “tribe.”

That is why we provide a starting wage significantly above the minimum.

On Nov. 8, ballot measures raising the minimum wage passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington state. And earlier this year, we strongly supported the passage of Washington D.C.’s minimum...

By Perry Stein
Washington Post, December 2, 2016

Glen’s Garden Market had a minimum-wage predicament. In July, the District’s hourly minimum wage increased to $11.50 — the same amount the upscale market was already paying its entry-level workers at two locations. The purveyor of high-end groceries and prepared foods no longer had an edge against other retailers in attracting high-quality, entry-level employees.

So owner Danielle Vogel boosted hourly wages by another dollar, to $12.50. ...

In 2014, the District passed legislation to incrementally raise the minimum wage from $8.25 to its current $11.50. In June, D.C. lawmakers...

By Jared Bilski
CFO Daily News, Nov 30, 2016

A Republican president isn’t the only major change ushered in by the election. Several states will get a minimum wage bump as a result, too. With overwhelming approval, voters approved statewide minimum wage increases in four different states. ...

The election-based increases were also supported by businesses that believe these minimum wage bumps would ultimately have a positive long-term impact on their own bottom lines.

The push for a federal increase

States that aren’t impacted by minimum wage increases in the near future need to be aware...

By Justin Grey
Cox Media, Nov 22, 2016. Numerous papers and other outlets.

With only weeks left in office, President Barack Obama's administration has continued to advocate for a higher federal minimum wage. U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez on Monday pushed for a minimum wage increase at a pizza chain in Washington called &pizza. The restaurant has grown from one location four years ago to 19 locations today. It pays well above the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

"We're proof that paying people a healthy wage is not only the right thing to do...

By Ryan O. Ferguson
DC Inno, Nov 22, 2016

50 on Fire will bring together D.C.'s best and brightest to recognize the disruptors, luminaries and visionaries that are pushing our city forward. ... The 50 on Fire Lifestyle category might be the most fun one. From flowers to beer to clothing, these innovators are making D.C. a city of world-class food and drink, classic style and vibrant community. Check out this year's finalists:

Michael Lastoria - &pizza

&pizza has had quite a year. In addition to opening several new stores in the District, developing a cocktail program...

QSR, Nov 21, 2016

Business for a Fair Minimum Wage member &pizza hosted a roundtable with Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez and Deputy Secretary Christopher Lu to discuss the business and economic case for paying fair wages and the need to raise the minimum wage at the state and federal level.

Michael Lastoria, &pizza’s co-founder and CEO, along with several &pizza employees, or “Tribe” members, joined Secretary Perez and Deputy Secretary Lu to discuss why &pizza pays living wages, what it means for their bottom line, how it impacts their employees, their guests and the...

Four states passed proposals to increase the minimum wage, adding to the growing support for higher pay floors for U.S. workers

By Sean Ollocca
CFO Magazine, Nov 17, 2016

Employees at low-paying jobs in four states can expect a raise next year after voters passed proposals on Election Day to increase the minimum wage. Arizona, Maine, and Colorado plan to gradually increase the wage floor to $12 from an average of just under $8 by 2020. Washington will hike an already above-average $9.47 an hour to $13.50 an hour over the same period. ...

For...

With voter approval, Colorado's hourly rate will rise to $12 per hour over three years

By Kyle Harding
Centennial Citizen, November 17, 2016. Also Littleton Independent

... But Littleton resident Michael Kessler, who owns Sanyork Fair Trade in Denver and worked on the Business for a Fair Minimum Wage campaign, thinks the increase is long overdue.

“We feel that $10-or-under an hour is not a living wage, especially in this economy and in Colorado,” he said.

In the Nov. 8 election, Colorado voters favored Amendment 70's incremental minimum wage increase by 55.2 percent to 44.7 percent...

Colorado, Arizona, Washington and Maine all voted to boost minimum wage to $12 per hour

By Aldo Svaldi
Denver Post, Updated November 16, 2016

Business owners across the state are crunching the numbers and trying to figure out their next moves after Colorado joined Arizona, Washington and Maine in approving a $12-an-hour minimum wage on Tuesday.

While businesses who backed the higher wage say they think it could be good for their employees and their business, many are doing a calculation that involves finding the right balance between passing on higher costs to customers, adjusting staffing and work...

By Debra Borchardt
Forbes, Nov 15, 2016

Counterculture pizza chain &pizza is headed to New York City with a $25 million cash investment from investment firm AVALT. It’s a pretty gutsy move expanding into the pizza capital of the country, but &pizza is confident it will win over New Yorkers with a slice of its millennial-friendly social consciousness. The chain is know for its progressive approach towards its healthy menu and fair treatment of its workers.

The first restaurant is planned to open in spring/summer 2017 and will be located near Madison Square Park, ground zero for Shake Shack....

By Christine Kern
Hospitality Leader, November 14, 2016

... How The Elections Will Affect The Restaurant and Hospitality Industries

With Donald Trump’s success in his bid for the presidency, the outlook for the restaurant and hospitality industry might have become just a bit brighter in the long run, according to The Nation’s Restaurant News. Although voters in four states approved ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020 in Arizona, Colorado and Maine and to $13.50 per hour by 2020 in Washington State, a Trump win makes the increase of the federal minimum wage...

This should hopefully put to bed the idea that increasing wages is bad for business.

By Adele Peters
Fast Company CoExist, Nov 10, 2016
On Election Day, in four very different states— Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington—voters approved ballot measures to bump up the minimum wage to at least $12 by 2020, which will directly benefit around two million workers. ...
"This really reinforces what we know—that there's very strong support among the general public for raising the minimum wage, and there's also strong support in the business community for raising the minimum wage," says Holly Sklar, CEO of an organization called Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. "And you can see it across the country and across the political spectrum."

By Ted Skroback
KOAA 5, Nov 9, 2016

Currently minimum wage is $8.31. In 2017, that goes up 99 cents to $9.30 an hour, and it'll keep going up 90 cents each January, until it hits $12.

"We actually pay our employees that minimum wage and more so it's not an issue for us," said Richard Skorman, Co-Owner Poor Richard's shops downtown.

While a lot of small businesses may struggle with higher labor costs, some like Skorman's downtown shops advocated for 'Yes' on Amendment 70 and are happy it passed.

"It would be great for...