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...

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...

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...

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...