By Erin Achenbach
Call Newspapers, Jan 16, 2020
Minimum wage workers in Missouri got an 85-cent raise as of Jan. 1 after the minimum wage increased from $8.60 an hour to $9.45 an hour. The increase in the minimum wage is part of the annual scheduled raises under Proposition B, which statewide voters passed 62.3 percent to 37.7 percent in November 2018. ... Under the ballot measure, the minimum wage in Missouri will increase every year for five years until it reaches $12 an hour in 2023. After hitting $12, future adjustments will then be made based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. ...
The proposition earned the support of regional business owners such as Pizza Head in south St. Louis city, Urban Chestnut Brewing and Joe Edwards, who owns multiple businesses up and down the Delmar Loop like The Pageant and Blueberry Hill. ...
Nationwide, 21 states got higher minimum wages in 2020. Advocates for the hikes say that a higher minimum wage will boost consumer spending, reduce costly employee turnover, increase productivity and customer satisfaction and strengthen local economies. ...
Laurie Knowlton, owner of Pickwick Underground Framing and Zen3 Spa and Bodyworks in Springfield, said of the higher minimum wage in a news release, “Raising the minimum wage will increase employee morale, retention and productivity. And when the staff is more stable, it builds trust and helps businesses maintain a positive reputation. With a higher minimum wage, workers will earn more and spend more – creating more cash flow for local businesses and communities.” ...