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By Matt Maisel
Fox 43 (PA), January 24, 2017

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Fighting to raise the minimum wage [currently $7.25] is a battle state representative Patty Kim has lost for the last few years. ... With new leadership in 2017, Rep. Kim is hoping this legislative session brings an open look into bringing Pennsylvania's first wage hike since 2009. ... 

Pennsylvania started the process of raising the minimum wage in 2016, when Governor Tom Wolf raised the minimum wage to $10.15 for state employees and state-contracted workers. When that happened, John Traynor, the owner of the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, decided to raise the minimum wage for his staff.

Traynor now starts employees at H-MAC at $10.15, although most, he says, make $12/hr or more.

He calls it a "livable wage;" giving employees a reason to enjoy coming to work. Traynor estimates he's able to keep 90-to-95 percent of his employees because of his wages, which saves money on employee retraining.

"It pays for itself," he says, "Everyone that works for us is like family. So when you're employing people you see every day and you know where they live and you have a personal relationship with them, you don't want to see them living below the poverty line, you want to elevate them."

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