By Tom Beck
Chestnut Hill Local (PA), June 15, 2022
Pennsylvania Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier visited The Night Kitchen Bakery & Cafe in Chestnut Hill June 9 to promote raising of the state’s minimum wage, which is currently at the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. The wage hasn’t been raised since 2009. ...
Amy Edelman, who co-owns The Night Kitchen with her husband, John Millard, and pays her employees about $15 per hour on average with benefits, said she hosted the event because when people earn more, they have more money to spend.
“Workers are also customers,” Edelman said. “When the minimum wage goes up, workers have more money to spend at businesses like ours.”
“Raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $15 an hour will be good for my business and our economy,” Edelman said. “As a small business owner, I know we need to raise the minimum wage, and that raise is long overdue.”
Berrier said there are several pieces of legislation currently in the state’s general assembly that would raise the rate. ...
Edelman ... said she thinks that “businesses do better, working people do better and customers are happier” when employees are paid what she described as decent wages.
“Let's take action now,” she added. “We're all better off when employees have a fair piece of the pie.”