Register Herald (OH), Jan 3, 2017
Some say amount remains too low
PREBLE COUNTY — Ohio workers currently earning minimum wage will see a small boost in their rate of pay come January 1, as the state’s minimum wage is raised from $8.10 to $8.15 per hour. ...
Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, an advocacy group which seeks to see the minimum wage increased across the country, says business leaders believe increases will “boost consumer spending, lower employee turnover, and increase productivity and customer satisfaction – helping businesses thrive and strengthening local economies.”
More than 1,000 businesses and business organizations have signed the Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement in support of raising the federal minimum wage to at least $12 by 2020.
Gary Johnson, President and CEO of AFI Contractors in Toledo, Ohio, said the five-cent increase in The Buckeye State is not enough.
“The high turnover, low-minimum wage model is bad for business, our economy and our communities. Ohioans need more than a nickel raise,” he said. “Passing a bigger, phased-in minimum wage increase, as other states have done, will give low-paying businesses time to adjust — and experience the varied benefits of higher wages like increased consumer spending, lower staff turnover, increased productivity and more satisfied customers.”