Op-Ed By Brian England, Owner, BA Auto Care
... What we’ve paid in higher compensation, we have more than reaped in long-term loyalty, low turnover, high numbers of return customers and referrals, and consistent growth. ...
By William J. Ford
Washington Informer, Mar 3, 2019
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland inched closer to gradually increasing the state’s minimum hourly wage to $15 by 2025. The House of Delegates voted 96-44 Friday for the bill, which now goes to the Senate. ...
The state’s current minimum hourly wage stands at $10.10. Under the legislation approved Friday, it would increase to $11 by January 2020, then by 75 cents every year and finally by $1 to $15 by January 2025.
Several business leader and advocate groups are pleased with the House vote, but said it didn’t...
By Arelis R. Hernandez
Washington Post, Feb 27, 2019
The Maryland House of Delegates gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation requiring a $15 minimum wage, a priority for progressive Democrats that failed to advance to the House floor in previous years. ...
Other business leaders say they favor a higher wage, believing that it can reduce turnover and boost worker productivity.
“A low-wage model makes it harder to hire and retain employees when they can go elsewhere and make more,” said Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. “It...
By Luke Darby
GQ, Feb 26, 2019
Even in the nicest, friendliest of times, Twitter is an angry place. ...
In this environment, brands are struggling to figure out exactly what their voice and messaging should be, which is how we've ended up with woke Steak-umms and clinically depressed Sunny D. But all of them could take a lesson from a surprisingly reasonable, straightforward, and fully accurate soap.
The Twitter account for Dr. Bronner's...has been tweeting calls to raise the federal minimum wage for almost five years now. Over the past weekend, they did so once again with...
By Teresa Kay Albertson
Des Moines Register, Feb 25, 2019
The owner of an Iowa artisan salami company testified before the U.S. Congress this month in support of raising the national minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Kathy Eckhouse of La Quercia told members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor that workers like the 60 people at her Norwalk cured meats facility deserve to make living wage.
“We really believe people need to make enough money to live a comfortable life,” she said last week back home in Iowa.
Eckhouse was invited to Washington, D.C., to...
By Danielle E. Gaines
Maryland Matters, Feb 22, 2019. Also WTOP
As lawmakers consider whether to adopt a $15 minimum wage, some are also asking whether that figure is needed everywhere in Maryland. ...
But supporters of a statewide “Clean 15” bill – without carve-outs for certain industries or regions – said such logic was flawed.
“A state minimum wage that sets lower rates for certain regions would incentivize workers to leave rural communities to seek higher paying jobs in urban areas, making it harder for our rural businesses to hire and retain employees,” said Alissa Barron-Menza...
By Ally Schweitzer
WAMU 88.5, Feb 22, 2019
The debate over Maryland’s minimum wage continued in a Senate committee hearing Thursday, with business owners mounting dueling arguments for and against a proposal that would raise the wage to $15 statewide.
Maryland’s minimum wage is currently $10.10, except in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, where it’s $12 and $11.50, respectively. The “Fight for $15” bill, introduced by Democrats from Baltimore and Prince George’s County, would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2023. ...
Representatives from Vigilante Coffee and a local string of Ace Hardware stores...
By Lowell Melser
WBAL TV NBC, Feb 21, 2019
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The minimum wage fight has made its way to Annapolis....
People on both sides packed Thursday's hearing to plead their cases to lawmakers.
Brian England, who owns an auto repair company at which all 16 of his employees make more than minimum wage, supports the bill, saying it will be better for the economy.
"They have to choose between tires or a battery because they don't have enough money to live on and they're doing two or three jobs. So, if you raise that...
By Sara Swann
Salisbury Daily Times for Delmarva Now, Feb 21, 2019
... Democratic lawmakers in Maryland are pushing for a landmark minimum wage increase to $15 an hour by 2023. ... The reason for this latest push for a higher minimum wage, advocates say, is because $10.10 per hour doesn't go far enough to cover living expenses.
Bringing the rate up to $15 an hour would ... allow for additional spending, which would strengthen the economy, said Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.
"We want to see a minimum wage...
By Tim Shelley
25 News NBC, Week Television, Feb 19, 2019
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WEEK) — Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a bill into law which will raise the Illinois minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. Senate Bill 1 will gradually increase the minimum wage from the current $8.25 an hour to $15 an hour. The first wage hike is set to go into effect on Jan. 1 of next year, when the minimum wage will increase to $9.25 an hour. ...
One business owner in favor of the minimum wage increase is Robert...