By Kevin James Shay
Gazette, Maryland, September 30, 2014
... Under a law passed by the [Montgomery] County Council late last year, the minimum wage for most employers with at least two workers increases from $7.25 per hour to $8.40 on Wednesday. It will rise incrementally each October until reaching $11.50 in October 2017. That’s larger than the state hike, which is slated to increase to $8 per hour Jan. 1 and rise more slowly to $10.10 by mid-2018.
“I don’t anticipate much impact, especially at the beginning,” said Meaghan Murphy, co-owner of Takoma Park café and bakery Capital City Cheesecake, which has 17 full- and part-time employees. “We’re already paying the large majority of our employees above $8.40 an hour. For the second phase, we are working to get ahead of the curve. We have to time to address it and be proactive.” ...
Supporters said the federal and state minimum wages have not been fairly adjusted for inflation, and Montgomery’s higher level than the state is justified by the county’s higher cost of living. ...
Prince George’s, D.C. also raise wages
Prince George’s County approved a bill similar to Montgomery’s, while Washington, D.C., enacted a larger increase, to $9.50 per hour, in July. ...
Raising the minimum wage helps businesses by making workers happier and feel more valued, which aids in employee retention, said Gina Schaefer, owner of several Ace Hardware stores in the region, including one in Takoma Park. It also lets people not have to resort to public assistance as much and spend more money in the economy, she said.
“We have paid our employees well above the minimum,” Schaefer said. “We have the higher wages built into future budgeting plans.”
Schaefer and Murphy are among local business owners who have advocated for the higher wage in public hearings. ...
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