MACON, Ga. — On Thursday night time even though President-elect Biden introduced his $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Program,” he shared his options to urge Congress to improve the federal bare minimum wage to $15 for every hour.
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A tiny company operator in Macon sees the proposed wage boost as each great and negative.
Felicia Howard owns Felicia’s Cake Factory, a downtown bakery. She pays her staff higher than the latest least wage.
Right now the minimum amount wage is $7.25 and has been that considering that 2009.
Howard has just two workforce a bakery assistant and an assistant baker. She phone calls them crucial to her functions, stating without them responsibilities would not get accomplished without having every working day turning into extremely extended.
The positions at the bakery are component-time and Howard normally hires high university or college or university learners to fill them. The baker believes what she pays her staff is a very good wage.
And nonetheless, she details out that the price tag of living has elevated up over the previous ten years, “In all places you go, retailer or what have you, selling prices are continually likely up,” she said, even though wages remain the similar.
Howard spelled out that as a citizen, she thinks that the federal least wage must be higher, expressing the if folks have more revenue in their pockets they would expend extra and enable improve the overall economy.
But on the other hand, as a enterprise operator, a just about $8 an hour maximize would be challenging to regulate.
“As a smaller small business, we’re likely to just take a strike.”
Howard tries to value her cupcakes, brownies, and cake pops at a competitive amount. If she had to hand out additional cash for workforce, she questions regardless of whether or not that would involve her to raise selling prices.
Though unsure about her individual retail store, the baker is self-confident that her suppliers would up their rates. “Much more than very likely, our prices would have to change appropriately or we might have to downgrade solutions.”
A solution alter could drastically affect the bakery, who other regional company house owners say has the ideal pastries in town.
Howard thinks the President-elect may well not have considered little enterprises in this proposed increase. She suggests a approach like this would probably be extra fitting for a much larger corporation like Walmart or McDonalds, specifically due to the fact compact company are by now struggling to continue to be afloat for the reason that of COVID-19.
“There wants to be some type of support for organizations to be ready to continue to maintain and be able to pay back these wages.”
A catch-22, is what Howard phone calls the achievable maximize. “If you increase it and price ranges go up, is it actually serving to any?”
In the conclude the baker hopes the prepare would profit everyone but notes if you make more, you may well have to shell out extra.