BFMW In the News

By Jacob Owens
Delaware Business Times, June 18, 2021

DOVER – The push to increase Delaware’s hourly minimum wage to $15 by 2025 cleared the state House of Representatives on Thursday and now heads to Gov. John Carney for his consideration. ...

Some Delaware small businesses have come out in support of the bill.

Canalside Inn owner Kristen Deptula said she has paid her employees $15 an hour since buying the Rehoboth Beach hotel in 2019.

Op-Ed By Kristen Deptula, Owner, Canalside Inn

... Raising Delaware’s minimum wage to $15 will promote a more robust economic recovery from the pandemic for both working people and businesses. ....

By Matt Bittle
Delaware State News, June 17, 2021

DOVER — Legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 is now before Gov. John Carney. ... Senate Bill 15 would start by increasing the wage to $10.50 in 2022, followed by $11.75 in 2023 and $13.25 in 2024 before hitting $15 in 2025. ...

“Raising Delaware’s minimum wage will boost the economy and help businesses and communities thrive,” Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, said in a statement. “Minimum wage increases go right back into the economy as workers can afford to buy more at local businesses. And businesses raising wages will benefit from lower employee turnover and increased productivity and customer satisfaction.”

Op-Ed By Ryan Peters, Owner, RISE Fitness + Adventure

... We have always paid above the minimum wage because we know that fair pay matters a lot in the success of our business and the lives of our employees. ....

By Olivia Montes
Delaware State News, June 17, 2021

Small businesses across the First State are preparing for the financial boost of the summer season — but business owner Courtney Sunborn is particularly excited about the passage of legislation to increase minimum wage.

“I really enjoy speaking on behalf of it as a small-business owner because it has proven to be an extremely valuable way of doing business for me,” said Ms. Sunborn, owner and founder of the natural cleaning service Ecolistic Cleaning in Lewes.

By DJ McAneny
WDEL News Radio, June 17, 2021

"It all just makes a difference in the wellbeing of people, and that changes who they are and what they can be for you," said Sarah Titus, co-owner of Wilmington's The Comic Book Shop. "I don't know. People are worth it."

Slated to appear before the state House Thursday, June 17, 2021, is Senate Bill 15, and act to gradually increase Delaware's minimum wage to $15 by 2025.  ...

But a small business owner like Titus, who already pays her employees above minimum wage, said owners fearful of the move aren't looking at the greater picture. Not only is it attainable, she said, but the results create a more lucrative environment for everyone. 

By Eli Rosenberg
Washington Post, June 10, 2021

... Across the country, businesses in sectors such as food service and manufacturing that are trying to staff up have been reporting an obstacle to their success — a scarcity of workers interested in applying for low-wage positions. ...

The experience of 12 business operators interviewed by The Washington Post who raised their minimum wage in the last year points to another element of the equation: the central role that pay — specifically a $15-an-hour minimum starting wage — plays in attracting workers right now. ...

By Michael Sainato
The Guardian, June 9, 2021

Some employers are upending the industry standards by paying their employees better and offering stronger benefits

...  &Pizza, a pizza chain in six states and Washington DC, raised wages at the start of the pandemic and expanded benefits such as providing Election Day as a paid day off. Owner Michael Lastoria said the chain has opened 11 new locations through the pandemic, and had no trouble in hiring new workers at the chain’s starting wages beginning at $16 an hour.

By Linh Ta
Axios, June 7, 2021

All eyes will be on Iowa and other Republican-led states these next few months to see if an early exit from federal unemployment benefits truly nudges people back to work. ...

... Workers are also now in a position where they feel more empowered to choose jobs they genuinely like, said Mike Draper, owner of Raygun.

• "I think people are just assessing what they do during the day and how they want to be treated and what kind of environment they want to work in," Draper said. ...

Read more

By Paul Wiseman
Associated Press (AP), June 7, 2021

The U.S. economy is sparking confusion and whiplash almost as fast as it’s adding jobs. ...

Economists point mainly to what they call a short-term mismatch: Companies are posting job openings faster than applicants can respond. After all, many Americans are contending with considerable tumult at home — health issues related to COVID-19, child-care problems with schools slow to reopen, career uncertainty after many jobs permanently vanished over the past 15 months. ...

By Ron Southwick
Penn Live/Patriot News, May 31, 2021. Also Marietta Journal

...At a news conference in Lancaster last week, Wolf repeated a now-familiar pitch to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour for a decade. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage mirrors the federal government. ...

Peter Barber, president of Two Dudes Painting Company, which hosted the governor’s event, said businesses would see the benefits of paying better wages. He said his painters start at $14 per hour and go to $15 per hour after 90 days. When companies pay higher wages, they will see lower turnover and better production and customer service.

“I know from experience that paying livable wages is also good for business,” Barber said.

MyChesCo, May 28, 2021

...The governor was joined for a press conference in Lancaster by Rep. Patty Kim, prime sponsor of HB 345 to raise the minimum wage, and local business owners Peter Barber, President, CEO and Co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company and Jennie Groff, CEO and Co-owner of Stroopies, Inc. ...

By William O'Boyle
Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, May 27, 2021. Also Yahoo, Marietta Journal, others

On Wednesday, Wolf was joined by legislators, business owners and advocates to call on the General Assembly to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $12 an hour with a path to $15.

The governor was joined for a press conference in Lancaster by Rep. Patty Kim, prime sponsor of HB 345 to raise the minimum wage, and local business owners Peter Barber, President, CEO and Co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company and Jennie Groff, CEO and Co-owner of Stroopies, Inc.

By Candy Woodall and J.D. Prose
USA Today Network's Pennsylvania State Capital Bureau, May 27, 2021. Also GoErie, others

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday was joined by business owners and Democratic lawmakers in his latest push for a higher minimum wage in Pennsylvania. ...

Peter Barber, CEO and co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company in Lancaster, said he pays a starting wage $14 an hour. After they've worked there for 90 days, he pays them $15 an hour. His company has about 65 employees. 

"I believe raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027 will be good for workers, the community and our economy," Barber said. "I know from experience that paying a livable wage is also good for business."

By Gillian McGoldrick
LNP / LancasterOnline, May 26, 2021

Gov. Tom Wolf visited Lancaster city Wednesday morning to repeat his longstanding call to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage....

Peter Barber, the president and CEO of Two Dudes Painting Co., said providing “livable wages” to his workers is a crucial part of recruitment and retention, and as a result the company is not struggling to fill open positions.