By Garrett Dvorkin
Baltimore Business Journal, March 13, 2023

Gina Schaefer is going to raise the minimum wage at her ACE Hardware stores ... and keep raising it to match inflation every year, no matter what the Maryland General Assembly does this year.

Schafer, who operates 15 stores in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., has a policy to pay employees based on the highest salary requirements of all her store locations. D.C. moves its minimum wage from $16.10 to $17 on July 1, and will increase the minimum wage to keep up with the Consumer Price Index...

By  Edwin J. Viera
Public News Service, March 9, 2023, run by more than 100 outlets across New York and nationally

A bill in the New York State Legislature would increase the minimum wage to over $20 by 2026. ...

Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, described how raising the minimum wage could reduce small business employee turnover.

"When we raise the minimum wage," said Barron-Menza, "that pays off for businesses in lower turnover, reduced hiring and training costs, fewer errors, and better productivity as workers can afford to...

By Edwin Viera
Fingerlakes1.com, March 9, 2023 

A bill in the New York State Legislature would increase the minimum wage to over $20 by 2026. ...

Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of the group Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, described how raising the minimum wage could reduce small business employee turnover.

“When we raise the minimum wage,” said Barron-Menza, “that pays off for businesses in lower turnover, reduced hiring and training costs, fewer errors, and better productivity as workers can afford to stick around longer and get to know your business better. And, ultimately better customer service which...

By Samantha Christmann
Buffalo News, March 7, 2023. Also in the Auburn Citizen, Post Star (Glens Falls)

The state's minimum wage is headed toward $15 per hour. But a group of business owners said it doesn't go far enough to ensure an appropriate wage for working people, and are pushing to tie the minimum wage to inflation. Advocates of the Raise the Wage Act say gains made by minimum wage increases have been eroded by inflation. The bill calls for indexing the minimum wage – tying it to inflation rates and moving the minimum wage by...

By Andy Medici
The Business Journals, March 6, 2023

A majority of business leaders and executives support annual increases in the federal minimum wage, according to a new survey by compensation data and services firm PayScale Inc.

The survey of compensation professionals, human resources leaders and business executives found 75% of U.S. respondents agreed the federal minimum wage should be increased. About 66% said the minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25 per hour, should go up automatically every year to keep up pace with the cost of living. ...

The federal minimum wage, however, has remained unchanged...

By Karen Juanita Carrillo
New York Amsterdam News, March 2, 2023

More than 200 New York businesses and business organizations have signed on to the New York Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement, which calls for passage of legislation that would raise the state’s minimum wage and index future increases to the cost of living.

The business owners signing on to the statement say they believe that with higher salaries, wage earners will become confident consumers who will have the income to help spur the local economy.

“Prices have increased but the minimum...

By Alex Crichton
WXXI (NPR) Rochester, March 2, 2023

Radio story includes Alissa Barron-Menza and New York Business for a Fair Minimum Wage coalition.

LISTEN

By David Lombardo
The Capitol Pressroom, March 1, 2023

New York Senate Labor Committee Chair Jessica Ramos and Aaron Bartley, a Buffalo business owner, make the case for raising the minimum wage and argue that Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal doesn't go far enough.

Read more and LISTEN

By Julia March
Politico, Feb 28, 2023

... BUSINESSES FOR MINIMUM WAGE: A new coalition of hundreds of businesses and business organizations on Tuesday said it would push for raising the minimum wage and indexing further increases to inflation.

The group New York Business for a Fair Minimum Wage said of supporting a bill in the Legislature, called the Raise the Wage Act: “When people earn more as workers, they can afford to spend more as customers. Minimum wage increases go right back into the economy as spending at local businesses.”

—  By Joseph Spector

Read more

By Delonte Harrod
The Intersection Magazine, Feb 28, 2023

Before Gov. Wes Moore went and testified before the Maryland House of Economic Matters Committee at 1 p.m. on Feb. 27, he met with business leaders and an employee, Antonia Brown, to hear about the importance of passing the Fair Wage Act (HB549). The Fair Wage Act would help to speed up the state of reaching the $15 minimum wage point by Oct. 1, 2023. ...

Other attendees included: Carmalita Marshall, funeral director and embalmer at March Funeral Homes, Michael Lastoria, founder and CEO of &Pizza...

By Patrick Herron
The MoCo Show, Feb 28, 2023

Per the State of Maryland (2.27.23): Governor Wes Moore hosted a community round table at the State House and testified in the Maryland House Economic Matters Committee Hearing in support of the Fair Wage Act, presented as HB 549. The legislation accelerates the planned increase to a $15 minimum wage, fully implementing the increase for all covered employers as of October 1, 2023.

“I believe that we can be a state that lifts up both workers and businesses. I believe that we can help families thrive economically, and help...

By Deja Parker
WMDT (47ABC) Delmarva, Feb 27, 2023

In Maryland, the question on the table is will minimum wage go up to $15.00 an hour sooner than intended. Many business owners went to the State House to testify in support of the measure. The Fair Wage Act of 2023 would lift the minimum wage to $15.00 in October. ... One business owner, Courtney Sunborn for Ecolostic Cleaning says she supports the bill because she’s been paying more than the minimum for years now.

She says it creates a better cycle for happy workers. “[The] employees...

By Ava-Joye Burnett
CBS Baltimore, WJZ,Feb 27, 2023

Maryland is supposed to get to a $15 minimum wage by January 2025. Now, Gov. Wes Moore and several lawmakers want to expedite the process to get to that minimum wage increase sooner.

Those who support the minimum wage increase tell WJZ it is important to do this now because inflation has had an impact on how far money stretches, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supporters also said that higher wages make them more competitive, it cuts back on turnover of new employees, and...

By Brad Bell
ABC 7News, Annapolis, Feb 27, 2023

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (7News) — At the Rise Up coffee shop in Annapolis, the notion of raising Maryland’s minimum wage to $15 an hour this year instead in 2025 is a popular one among those making the lattes.

“It’s really important to support small businesses in the community and if that means putting money into the little guy I think it’ll eventually work out for everyone in the long run,” says Tyler a worker at the coffee shop. ...

[Governor Wes] Moore hosted an unusual public discussion featuring union...

By Chris Montcalmo
NottinghamMD.com, Feb 27, 2023 

TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski will testify before the Economic Matters Committee on Monday and share support for the Fair Wage Act of 2023 (HB-549).

This legislation would accelerate the state’s $15-per-hour minimum wage, fully implementing that wage for all covered employers as of October 1 instead of 2026 as currently required. In addition, the Fair Wage Act would index the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index beginning on July 1, 2025 ...

County Executive Olszewski, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, [Economic Policy Institute] Senior Economist Elise Gould, Business for a Fair Minimum...