SMALL BUSINESSES IN PORTLAND AREA WARNED ABOUT SHARPLY INCREASING WAGE COSTS

SMALL BUSINESSES IN PORTLAND AREA WARNED ABOUT SHARPLY INCREASING WAGE COSTS

SMALL BUSINESSES IN PORTLAND AREA WARNED ABOUT SHARPLY
INCREASING WAGE COSTS

 

PORTLAND (October 7, 2015): Already bracing for a higher
local minimum wage in January, small business owners in the Portland are
alarmed about the potential impact of a staggering minimum wage increase to be
voted on by Portland voters this November.

 

“A minimum wage increase of this magnitude – to $15 over the
next few years – will slam small businesses with steep new labor costs that
will also impact customers and workers. 
The cost is huge especially for a very small business,” said NFIB Maine
state director David Clough.  “Our
members have made it clear that $15 is way too high a cost to absorb without
affecting employment and business operations.”

 

Some small businesses will be hit with $15 an hour in 2017
and others in 2019 if voters approve the proposed wage ordinance on the
November 3rd ballot in Portland.

 

NFIB Maine plans to educate its members on how they would be
affected by the proposal including the timing of increases and new
recordkeeping requirements.

 

“One feature of the proposal strikes business owners as
extremely unfair,” said Clough, “and that is the exemption provided the City of
Portland’s employees.  Whatever the
reason it’s a double standard that discriminates against a struggling mom and
pop store but favors multi-million dollar city government.”

 

NFIB Maine will be working with other business groups to
defeat Portland’s Question 1.

 

“Small business owners don’t disagree with the desire to
improve worker earnings but we sharply disagree with the $15 minimum wage method,”
said Clough.