By Cris Barrish
WHYY (NPR), June 18, 2021
Three years ago, Delaware lawmakers argued until morning on the final day of the General Assembly session before grudgingly approving an two-step increase in the minimum wage to $9.25. What a difference three years makes. ...
Alissa Barron-Menza of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage says the increases are overdue in Delaware.
“This is about helping ensure that not only workers are earning a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, but that businesses have the customers who can afford their products and services,’’ she said. “Fair pay is also good business.”
Several business owners in Barron-Menza’s group applauded the General Assembly’s action.
Kristen Deptula said “happier employees make for happier customers” at her Canalside Inn in Rehoboth Beach. “That drives our success in the hospitality industry. The economy reflects a continuous cycle of earning and spending, so when workers are making more money, they spend more, boosting our economy.”
Said Sarah Titus, owner of The Comic Book Shop in Wilmington: “When staff feel valued and aren’t scrambling to make ends meet, they return that to you in productivity.” ...