San Francisco was one of the first cities to increase the
minimum wage beyond the federal level and mandate better benefits for
low-income workers. The wage increase went into effect in 2004, long before the
notion of one percenters and the recent wave of wage protests by fast-food and
retail workers. And now everyone from President Obama to Fox News star Bill
O’Reilly is talking about raising the federal minimum wage. For those who need
more evidence, a new book hopes to persuade them. When Mandates Work: Raising Labor Standards at the Local Level, San
Francisco’s decision to increase the minimum wage and offer other benefits,
such as sick leave pay, hasn’t hurt the city’s economy at all. The three
editors—all labor experts—found that from 2004 to 2011 overall private
employment grew 5.6 percent in San Francisco and 3 percent in Santa Clara
County. Other Bay Area counties saw an overall 4.4 percent drop during that
time. Among food-service workers, who are more likely to be affected by
minimum-wage laws, employment grew 17.7 percent in San Francisco, faster than
either of the other Bay Area counties. “We did see a small increase, 2.8
percent, in food prices compared to other counties,” Ken Jacobs, the chairman
of the UC Berkeley Labor Center says. Jacobs also pointed out that companies
saved money because of reduced turnover.
I believe that it is time for our government to raise the minimum-wage level. If the minimum wage increased with the inflation over the years the minimum wage would be at $10.74. Having a higher minimum wage would do little effect with job growth and could increase worker moral. People would be more likely to work harder jobs for higher pay and companies would be able to reduce turnover. In 1914 Henry Ford raised his wages to five dollars that more then doubled the national minimum wage. This increased company moral, decreased turnover, and increased production in the work place. I think that making the minimum wage higher would be a good way to increase worker moral. New Jersey also increased there minimum wage and has helped economy. There increase was only to 8.25 compared to the previous 7.25.
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