The Ed Show, MSNBC, March 7, 2013
Text by Ed Resnikoff

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At least one CEO at a big retail company wants to see the minimum wage increased. In fact, he’d like the minimum wage to go even higher than President Obama has proposed.

Costco CEO Craig Jelinek said on Tuesday that he supports increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and indexing it to inflation. ...

The discount retailer CEO said in a statement that his company pays a starting wage of $11.50 across the country and is “still able to...

Mark Reardon Show, CBS KMOX News Radio, March 7, 2013

The owner of Vintage Vinyl is Lew Prince. He says he backs an increase in the minimum wage.

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Washington Business Journal, March 7, 2013

Costco Wholesale Corp. CEO Craig Jelinek and U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce CEO Margot Dorfman are urging the General Assembly to raise Maryland's minimum wage, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Lawmakers are considering a proposal to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10 an hour. Jelinek of Costco in written testimony said his company pays a starting wage of $11.50, adding, "we know it's a lot more profitable in the long term to minimize employee turnover and maximize employee productivity, commitment and loyalty."

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Copyright 2013...

By Associated Press, March 7, 2013

Maryland’s minimum wage earners say they need a raise and some state lawmakers agree.

A bill that would increase the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10 by 2015 was taken up Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee.

“When you increase wages for nearly 500,000 Marylanders, we are putting cash in their pockets,” [state Sen. Robert] Garagiola said. “They’re not likely to spend that out of state on a boat. They are more likely to buy basic needs to live, and those basic needs will be bought in Maryland. Some...

Washington Sun, March 7, 2013

At a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, business owners, economists, low wage workers and other supporters testified in favor of increasing Maryland’s minimum wage.  At the same time, the Raise Maryland campaign announced new support from Costco, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce and more than 70 Maryland businesses, who signed onto a letter of support organized by Maryland Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.

“At Costco, we know that paying employees good wages makes good sense for business,” said Craig Jelinek, Costco’s President and CEO in a statement...

By Eileen Ambrose
The Baltimore Sun, March 6, 2013

Costco and the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce are among more than 70 businesses and groups that support raising the minimum wage in Maryland, according Raise Maryland, a group advocating for a higher wage.

"We pay a starting hourly wage of $11.50 in all states where we do business, and we are still able to keep our overhead costs low," Craig Jelinek, Costco's president and CEO, said in a statement. "Instead of minimizing wages, we know it's a lot more profitable in the long term to minimize...

Journal News (NY)
Editorial, March 6, 2013

Pretend you were advising the state Senate on whether to increase the minimum wage in New York, a leader among the states in income inequality: Would you take your counsel from Costco CEO Craig Jelinek, who knows something about job creation and the bottom line, or would you take your lead from the state Assembly, which just voted to boost the hourly minimum to $9?

It was a trick question: It would be wise to listen to both.

On Tuesday, the Costco executive came out in favor of...

By Ashley Lutz
Business Insider, March 6, 2013 

Big-box warehouse store Costco is often compared with Walmart's Sam's Club. Both stores are places where people go to buy in bulk and save money.  

But while Walmart employees are striking for higher wages and health care, Costco has some of the happiest employees in the business.

Costco pays its employees an average hourly wage of $11.50 to start. After five years, they make $19.50 an hour and get an "extra check," a bonus of more than $2,000 every six months, according to Slate. 

While...

By Alana Semuels
Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2013

... businesses applauded a bill introduced in Congress to raise the minimum wage, and even sent out a news release vocalizing their support for doing so. They included retailer Costco and smaller businesses such as British American Auto Care in Columbia, Md., and Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis, Mo.

So what gives? Why are some businesses bucking the trend and calling for a change in policy that would so clearly increase their expenses, especially at a time when finances are stable at best? And why Costco...

The big-box warehouse store says better wages lead to better employee retainment, a better business culture and - in the long run - stronger stock prices

By Bruce Kennedy
MSN Money, March 6, 2013

... On Tuesday, Democratic Senators Tom Harkin of Iowa and George Miller of California introduced a measure that would raise the hourly minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 -- and add an annual adjustment to keep pace with the cost-of-living index.

Several business owners have applauded the so-called Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, most notably Craig Jelinek, the president and...

CNN News, March 6, 2013

DON LEMON … The push to raise the minimum wage just got influential support of the CEO of Costco. Craig Jelinek told an advocacy group that better wages make better employees.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange now. So Alison how much could his support influence the new push to raise the minimum wage? 

KOSIK: Well you know Don. It certainly doesn't hurt to have big business behind your cause. Jelinek was actually quoted in a release from the group called "Business for a Fair Minimum Wage"...

By Kent Hoover, Washington Bureau Chief
American Business Journals, March 6, 2013, syndicated

Andy Shallal broke away from the lunchtime crowds at his Busboys and Poets restaurants to go to Capitol Hill and urge Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Why would Shallal, who runs five restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area, want to increase labor costs? Well, for starters, raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour wouldn't raise Shallal's labor costs -- he already pays his employees at least $10.25 an hour. A decent wage is part of his business model.

"I am...

Fox Business News, March 6, 2013

WATCH White Castle V.P. Jamie Richardson and Spectronics Corporation President Jon Cooper debate increasing the minimum wage.

Jonathan Kantrowitz blog
Connecticut Post, March 6, 2013 

Business owners applauded the introduction of legislation to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time since 2009. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (IA) and Rep. George Miller (CA) introduced the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would gradually raise the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 an hour to $10.10, then provide for annual increases linked to the rising cost of living.

“At Costco, we know that paying employees good wages makes good sense for business,” said Craig Jelinek, Costco’s President and CEO....

By Bonnie Kavoussi
Huffington Post, March 6, 2013 

President Barack Obama wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 per hour. And the CEO of one of America's largest retailers says such a move would be good for workers and businesses alike. In fact, he says raise it even more.

On Tuesday, Costco CEO and President Craig Jelinek came out in support of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which aims to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, then adjust it after that for inflation.

"At Costco, we know that paying...