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Opposition Forming Against the Proposed Statewide $15 Minimum Wage

Minimum Reality Wage Check
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http://www.minimumwagerealitycheck.com/news-release/organizations-join-together-to-oppose-minimum-wage-hike/

  Farmers and small business owners from across Central and Upstate New York gathered in Albany on Wednesday to announce their unified position against the proposed $15 hourly minimum wage.  Dozens of business organizations and trade associations representing everyone from tourism and retail to restaurants and transportation have formed a coalition to oppose the wage hike.  Executive director of Unshackle Upstate GregBirylasays most studies show a correlation between wage hikes and the cost of goods and services.

"One employer today said their goods are going to raise 30%. One farmer said that their goods will increase the price of good 20%. You are going to feel that across the economic spectrum. You are going to feel that when it costs more to ship goods and services. You are going to feel that at the grocery store." 

And, Biryla says, that also negates any additional purchasing power those wage earners would have gained.  He says this proposal from Governor Cuomo seems to reverse his attempts to reform the state’s business climate, like the property tax cap and reductions in corporate and manufacturing taxes. 

" Unfortunately particularly for small businesses they have been left out of a lot of those reforms. We are talking about a 70% unprecedented increase in their labor costs, which will have an estimated $16 billion a year economic impact and that certainly will take us in the opposite direction."

Biryla says small businesses stand to be harmed the most by the $15 hourly wage.  Instead, he’d like to see the state improve workforce training so fewer workers are seeking the low-wage jobs.  Biryla says the earned income tax credit is a more effective way to put more money into the pockets of the poor than a higher minimum wage.

Credit Raise The Minimum Wage / http://www.raisetheminimumwage.com/
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http://www.raisetheminimumwage.com/
Raise the Minimum wage is an organization that supports the increase to $15/hour

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.