Press Releases

Contact: Cat Ulrich
cat@emccommunications.com, (202) 630-7839

Midwest business owner joins House and Senate leaders today to introduce the Raise the Wage Act; business leaders across the country also voice support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025

Jan. 26, 2021— Mike Draper, owner of Raygun LLC, a clothing, home goods and printing company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, joins House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), incoming Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), incoming Senate Budget Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07) on a press call today in support of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021.

Contact: Erin Musgrave
erin@emccommunications.com, 530-864-7014

Dec. 28, 2020—Twenty states will be raising their minimum wage to start the new year. Another four states have increases scheduled later in 2021. Business leaders across the country say minimum wage increases will boost consumer spending, strengthen local workforces and help build a shared economic recovery.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cat Ulrich, cat@emccommunications.com, (202) 630-7839

Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage coalition supported nation’s first passage of $15 minimum wage by ballot initiative

Nov. 3, 2020, Miami — Business owners across Florida are celebrating the passage of Amendment 2, saying raising the minimum wage will boost consumer spending, strengthen Florida’s workforce and help the economy. Amendment 2 will gradually raise the state minimum wage, starting in Sept. 2021, to $15 by 2026.

CONTACT: Cat Ulrich, cat@emccommunications.com, (202) 630-7839

With polls closing today, business owners across Florida are available to talk about why they support raising the state minimum wage

Nov. 3, 2020 — This Election Day, business leaders in the growing Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage coalition are speaking out in favor of Amendment 2, which would gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 by 2026.

CONTACT: Cat Ulrich, cat@emccommunications.com, (202) 630-7839

Oct. 29, 2020, Miami — A growing coalition of more than 150 business owners across Florida is calling for passage of Amendment 2, which would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026. Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, which includes restaurants, retail, manufacturers, tourism, personal services, construction, and more, says minimum wage increases will boost consumer spending, strengthen Florida’s workforce and help the economy.

Growing Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage coalition has over 100 inaugural supporters – from pizza places to Legacy Vacation Resorts

CONTACT: Cat Ulrich, cat@emccommunications.com, (202) 630-7839

Oct. 12, 2020, Miami — A new coalition of Florida business owners and executives – from retailers, manufacturers and cleaning companies to realtors, resorts and restaurants – released a statement today supporting Amendment 2, which would gradually raise the minimum wage, starting in Sept. 2021, to $15 by 2026. Business leaders, who continue to sign on daily, say it will boost consumer spending, strengthen Florida’s workforce and help the economy.

CONTACT: Cat Ulrich
cat@emcstrategies.com, (202) 630-7839‬

July 23, 2020—Business owners across the country are calling for the $7.25 federal minimum wage to be increased, as July 24 marks 11 years since the federal minimum wage was last raised in 2009. This is the longest period without a raise since the federal minimum wage was enacted in 1938.

Contact: Erin Musgrave
erin@emcstrategies.com, (530) 864-7014 

June 29, 2020—Business owners in Illinois, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, D.C. say the minimum wage increases taking effect July 1 will give workers more buying power at a crucial time, as months of lockdowns and low consumer spending have taken a brutal toll on the economy. Illinois is increasing to $10 per hour in another step toward a $15 minimum wage by 2025, while Washington, D.C. is reaching $15 on July 1.

Business leaders express relief that harmful regional minimum wages were not mandated in the final legislation raising Virginia’s minimum wage

Contact: Erin Musgrave
530-864-7014, erin@emcstrategies.com

March 8, 2020, Richmond, Va.— Business leaders welcomed the Virginia General Assembly passing legislation to raise the minimum wage statewide to $12 by 2023 with a path to $15 by 2026. Raising the minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009, will increase the consumer buying power businesses need to thrive and strengthen Virginia’s workforce and economy.

Contact: Erin Musgrave
530-864-7014, erin@emcstrategies.com

Feb. 11, 2020, Richmond, VA— Business leaders today applauded the Virginia House of Delegates for passing a bill to raise the Commonwealth’s minimum wage statewide to $15 an hour, and look forward to the Senate passing its bill and final passage of this raise, which will strengthen businesses and the economy.

Contact: Erin Musgrave, 530-864-7014, erin@emcstrategies.com

Business for a Fair Minimum Wage and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce announce support for statewide $15 minimum wage

Jan. 21, 2020, Richmond, VA—Business leaders are showing their support for phasing in a $15 statewide minimum wage, citing numerous business benefits a higher minimum wage would have for businesses and the state economy.

Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, joined legislators and low-wage workers speaking at a rally at the capitol today calling for raising Virginia’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce also announced their support.

Contact: Erin Musgrave, 530-864-7014, erin@emcstrategies.com

Jan. 14, 2020, Dover, DE—Business leaders are showing their support for gradually raising Delaware’s minimum wage to $15, citing numerous business benefits a higher minimum wage would have for their businesses and the state economy.

Alissa Barron-Menza, Vice President of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, joined workers and elected officials at a press conference at the capitol today calling for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce also announced their support.

Contact: Erin Musgrave
erin@emcstrategies.com, 530-864-7014

Dec. 20, 2019 – Twenty-one states are kicking off the new year by raising their minimum wage, and business owners are speaking out in support. Business leaders say the increases taking effect on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 will boost consumer spending, reduce costly employee turnover, increase productivity and customer satisfaction, and strengthen local economies.

Six states (California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York) with minimum wage raises at the new year are on track to reach $15 an hour in coming years, and all businesses in New York City must pay at least $15 per hour as of Dec. 31, 2019. 

CONTACT: Erin Musgrave, erin@emcstrategies.com, (530) 864-7014
Bob Keener, bob@businessforafairminimumwage.org, (617) 610-6766

July 18, 2019—Business owners across the country applauded the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Raise the Wage Act today, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. About 1,000 business organizations and owners – and counting - nationwide have signed a Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement supporting gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $15 because it will increase consumer buying power, foster a more stable productive workforce, and strengthen local businesses and communities.

Contact: Caitlin McShane, (415) 225-8855, caitlin@emcstrategies.com
Bob Keener, (617) 610-6766, bob@businessforafairminimumwage.org

More than 800 business owners – and counting – nationwide have signed a statement supporting raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024 and are available for media interviews

June 16, 2019 – Sunday, June 16 marks the longest period that Americans have gone without an increase in the federal minimum wage since it was enacted in 1938. More than 800 business owners across the country—from mom and pop shops to regional chains and national brands—have signed a Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement supporting raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2024, which the congressional Raise the Wage Act would do. More business leaders continue to sign on every day—from those who already pay their employees $15 because they see the bottom-line benefits of doing so, to those who are paying less than $15 now but support raising the minimum wage because they know it will be good for businesses and the economy.