The home page for FairWage.com contains information for businesses looking to join the local effort and for patrons looking for shops and restaurants that have pledged to pay their workers more.

by Sue Ann Rybak

Ken Weinstein, president of Philly Office Retail and owner of Trolley Car eateries, recently launched WageChange, a non-partisan initiative led by small business owners to gradually increase their employees’ minimum pay to $11 an hour by 2020.

The Mt. Airy resident said when it became clear that President-elect Donald Trump didn't support raising the minimum wage at the federal level, he decided to act. He hopes the initiative will pressure state legislators to raise the minimum wage.

“An across-the-board minimum wage change increase is better than a voluntary program because it creates a level playing field,” Weinstein said, “but we cannot wait any longer to act.

“Our employees deserve better. We must roll up our sleeves to increase the minimum wage over the next four years. And that is why we created the WageChange campaign. WageChange.com will not only have an immediate positive impact on our employees' lives, it will also push state and federal legislators to act. A higher minimum wage will result in an increase in business, lower recruiting and training costs and better service by more experienced staff.”

Weinstein estimates that this year's wage increase to $8 will cost him about $24,000. He hopes some of that cost will be absorbed by customers who want to support businesses that pay their employees a fair wage.

Bala Cynwyd resident Amy Edelman, owner of Night Kitchen Bakery, 7725 Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill, said she has always been able to hire good workers because she starts all her employees at $10 an hour. She explained that because the minimum wage has been stagnant for so long, paying her employees more than the minimum wage is the “right thing to do.”

“As business owners, who thought the minimum wage needs to be raised, we saw it as our responsibility to walk the walk,” she said. “To be honest, I don't know how someone can live off minimum wage and still be able to live, pay rent, make car payments and pay for health insurance, let alone raise a family on minimum wage.”

Mt. Airy native Meg Hagele, owner of High Point Cafe and High Point Wholesale in Mt. Airy, said she was happy when Weinstein approached her about starting the initiative.

Hagele, who already pays her employees more than minimum wage, liked the idea of increasing the minimum wage in increments –  $1 every four years – until it reaches $11 in 2020, for business owners who are concerned about the bottom line.

“In any business, the labor is the most expensive part,” she said. “It's definitely something we struggle with. My staff are a huge asset. They are my ambassadors. Without them I would not be here at all. For me, it’s more about making sure I am taking care of my staff, as best as I can, and keep my doors open. I have always been very committed to providing as much salary wage support as I can to my staff. I wish that it could be more.

“As a community, we must recognize that the person who is making your coffee has as much right to a quality of life as the lawyer, who is going to work and can pay $5 for their cup of coffee. We are all raised by all of us having a quality of life. For me, having long-term permanent staff who choose to make a career out of their work with me is much more valuable than flipping through a bunch of low-wage uninterested, unengaged people who are not going to come to work with that sense of engagement. I want my staff to stay with me forever. I not only want to pay them enough that they want to stay, but I also recognize my role and responsibility to provide them with a livelihood.

“High Point itself is committed to purchasing locally and paying fair wages. In regard to our coffee, I make sure that the coffees that we are purchasing to roast and to sell from our importers are not only paying the farmers a fair wage, but there is infrastructure. It goes down to everything we do. And for the most part, small business owners, who are trying to make a living doing what they love, will have a better relationship with their employees or a better employment strategy. Obviously, business owners must be concerned about the bottom line in order to survive. But the choices, they make have more to do with providing quality service and taking care of our community.”

Last year, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order stating that all employees under the governor's jurisdiction would be paid at least $10.15 per hour. Legislation to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage of $7.25, lags behind 29 states and the District of Columbia, all of whom have increased their minimum wage.

According to a statement on Wolf's website, “The inflation-adjusted hourly earnings of the bottom fifth of Pennsylvania workers are lower today than they were in 1979. The current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour has 18 percent less purchasing power than the minimum wage had in 1979. A full-time, year-round worker earning the current minimum wage earns less than the federal poverty threshold for a family of two. Studies have consistently shown that increases in the minimum wage have not reduced the employment of low-wage workers.”

In a statement, Wolf said, “A minimum wage increase to $10.15 per hour supports local businesses, creates new jobs, and would boost state revenue by roughly $60 million annually.”

For more information go about the local initiative to raise the minimum wage go to WageChange.com.