Press Releases

Business for a Fair Minimum Wage launches new sign-on statement with more than 200 inaugural business supporters of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024

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

Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2019 — Business owner Kathy Eckhouse, owner of La Quercia in Iowa, will testify today in support of the Raise the Wage Act of 2019, a bill that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. Eckhouse is one of more than 200 inaugural signers of the new Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement supporting raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024. Business owners and executives from across the country continue to sign on daily.

New Jersey joins California, New York, Massachusetts and Washington DC on path to $15 minimum wage

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

Feb. 4, 2019 — Local business owners applauded Gov. Phil Murphy for signing a bill into law today gradually raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Missouri restaurant owner joins House and Senate leadership at Capitol Hill press conference today to speak in support of the Raise the Wage Act; business owners across the country show their support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024

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

CONTACT: Bob Keener, 617-610-6766, bob@businessforafairminimumwage.org

Annapolis, January 14, 2019 — Maryland business leaders spoke at a press conference today in support of gradually raising the state minimum wage to $15. A bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2023 will be introduced in the General Assembly this week.

Contact: Conan Knoll, 831-524-6764, conan@emcstrategies.com 

Business leaders available to speak about why they support minimum wage raises in advance of 19 state increases happening around the country on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1

CONTACT:
Conan Knoll, 831-524-6764, conan@emcstrategies.com

Parsippany, N.J., Dec. 11, 2018 – Gov. Phil Murphy today joined Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, the president and CEO of Earth Friendly Products®, maker of more than 200 ECOS® brand green cleaning products, at the company’s Parsippany manufacturing plant to support a $15 state minimum wage and demonstrate how the company’s investment in its employees is fundamental to its long-term business success.

CONTACT:

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

Business owners in Missouri and Arkansas celebrate passage of minimum wage ballot initiatives because higher wages will be good for businesses and their state’s economy

CONTACT:

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

More than 700 business owners in Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage coalition supporting Proposition B, the initiative to raise Missouri’s minimum wage

Nov. 6, 2018 —Missouri business owners celebrated tonight’s passage of Proposition B, the ballot initiative that will raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2023, because it will be good for businesses and the state economy.

CONTACT:

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

Nov. 6, 2018 —Arkansas business owners today celebrated the passage of Issue 5, the ballot initiative that will raise the minimum wage to $11 by 2021. Business owners say raising the minimum wage will help workers afford the basics, boost consumer spending, lower employee turnover, reduce hiring and training costs, increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen the economy.

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

Nov. 5, 2018 —Business owners are speaking out in support of raising the minimum wage in two red states where minimum wage initiatives are on the ballot Tuesday. Business owners in Arkansas and Missouri—where about 700 business owners have signed a statement supporting the Show Me State’s Proposition B—are supporting the ballot initiatives because they believe it will be good for businesses and the economy in their states.

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

Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Rep. Bruce Franks, Jr. and Alderman Dan Guenther joined business owners at a press conference Thursday to discuss why raising the minimum wage will be good for businesses and the economy

Oct. 25, 2018, St. Louis – Today St. Louis business owners demonstrated their support for Proposition B, the ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage, by proudly displaying “This Business Supports Prop B” window signs in their businesses and holding a press conference with elected officials to discuss why raising the minimum wage to $12 by 2023 will be good for business.

Arkansas business owners and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce speak in support of Issue 5, the minimum wage initiative that today cleared a final hurdle to appear on the November ballot, because increasing wages will be good for businesses and the economy

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

Little Rock, Oct. 18, 2018 — Arkansas business owners and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce are speaking out today in support of raising the minimum wage as the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled to keep Issue 5 on the November ballot. Issue 5 would gradually raise Arkansas’ current minimum wage of $8.50 an hour to $9.25 on Jan. 1, 2019, $10 in 2020, and $11 in 2021.

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

St. Louis, Sept. 13, 2018 — More than 400 business owners and executives across the state have signed the Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement supporting Proposition B—an initiative on the November ballot that will gradually raise Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 by 2023. Business leaders continue to sign on regularly because, as the statement says, they support “raising Missouri’s minimum wage because it’s good for business, customers and our local economy.”

CONTACT: Erin Musgrave, (530) 864-7014, erin@emcstrategies.com
Jefferson City, Mo., Aug. 2, 2018 [Updated] — Missouri business owners are speaking in support of raising the minimum wage to $12 as Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified signatures today to put Proposition B on the November ballot. More than 350 Missouri business leaders have already endorsed Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage’s statement supporting raising the minimum wage to $12 by 2023 because it will boost consumer spending, strengthen the economy, reduce employee turnover, increase productivity, improve customer service, and level the playing field among businesses.

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

July 23, 2018—July 24 will mark nine years since the federal minimum wage was last increased. Since reaching $7.25 an hour in 2009, the federal minimum wage has lost nearly 15 percent of its buying power. Full-time minimum wage workers make just $15,080 a year. Twenty-one states have minimum wages at or below the federal minimum and various other states have minimum wages that are above $7.25 an hour, but still inadequate. Business owners across the country are calling for the minimum wage to be raised to benefit businesses and the economy.