Media
Minimum Wage Reality…
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 2:19 PM
To: PA General Assembly
Subject: Minimum wage
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Dear Friends in the Pennsylvania Legislature:
An increase in the minimum wage would do great harm to PA business, especially small businesses such as mine. I employ over 300 part-time hourly workers, all of whom already earn more than the minimum wage. They are students, homemakers, and retired people who want to earn a little extra spending money.
Our average hourly worker earns $8.31 already ($5.25 for beginners, and as much as $13.00 per hour for experienced). If you mandate an increase of $1.00, my payroll will increase by 12%, because ALL hourly wages will be pushed up. An increase of $2.00 would increase my hourly payroll by 24%!
You would leave me with two choices: … increase prices to cover the increased hourly wages, or … lay off all workers who earn under $6.15 ($7.15)
I cannot increase prices enough to begin to cover the increase. Therefore, I would lay off all those under the minimum wage, and demand more from the remaining workers.
THERE IS NO FULL-TIME WORKER OUT THERE WHO IS TRYING TO SUBSIST ON $5.15 PER HOUR. YOU ARE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO DO NOT EXIST! The average household income of minimum wage earners is over $50,000 per year.
PLEASE DO NOT HURT THE PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON LOW-WAGE JOBS, AND HARM OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TOO. AND, CAUSE INFLATION WHICH WOULD EAT UP THE INCREASE WITHIN A YEAR.
John F. Brinson, CEO
Lehigh Valley Racket & Fitness Club