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MyChesCo (Chester County, PA), June 11, 2022

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Jennifer Berrier on Thursday continued her statewide push for legislative action to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage during a visit to Philadelphia’s Night Kitchen Bakery & Cafe, a business that supports Governor Tom Wolf’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour with a pathway to $15.

"We are in the City of Brotherly Love, but love is, unfortunately, the last thing we have been showing the thousands of workers still earning the pitiful minimum wage in Pennsylvania of just $7.25 an hour,” said Secretary Berrier. “At Night Kitchen, we are about 11 miles, about a 20-minute drive, from the New Jersey border, where minimum wage workers earn $13 an hour – that is 79 percent more per hour than a comparable worker in Pennsylvania. How is that fair?” ...

At Thursday’s event, Secretary Berrier toured the Night Kitchen Bakery & Café with co-owner Amy Edelman, who has proactively chosen to pay a higher starting wage than $7.25 per hour and shared how a livable wage has benefited not only the lives of her workers but also her business.

“As a small business owner, I know a minimum wage increase is long overdue. The better wages and benefits we offer our employees have been central to our success,” said Edelman. “Our dedicated employees are hardworking and efficient, and they produce a superior product with better customer service. That translates into the returning customers who drive small-business success. Raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage will boost consumer spending at local businesses and strengthen our neighborhoods and economy.” ...

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