Judge to hear arguments on WA minimum wage lawsuit (Seattle: 2013, how much)

[CarlB328]

Normally I'm all for increasing the minimum wage, but it seems like there a legitimate legal problem with it this year.
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Judge to hear arguments on WA minimum wage lawsuit
A Kittitas County judge is set to hear arguments on a lawsuit over the state's decision to raise the minimum wage by 12 cents to $8.67 on Jan. 1.

The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
A Kittitas County judge is set to hear arguments on a lawsuit over the state's decision to raise the minimum wage by 12 cents to $8.67 on Jan. 1.

It is uncertain whether the judge will make a ruling in the case after Wednesday's 11 a.m. hearing.

A coalition of business groups sued the state last month over the decision to raise the minimum wage. The groups argue that the minimum wage can't be increased in 2011 because this year's Consumer Price Index does not reflect a net increase in the cost of living since 2008. A voter initiative tied the state's minimum wage to the index.

The coalition opposed to the increase includes the Washington Farm Bureau, the Washington Restaurant Association and the Washington Retail Association.

Business & Technology | Judge to hear arguments on WA minimum wage lawsuit | Seattle Times Newspaper

[StealthRabbit]

Hello Kittitas County !!

While I applaud and agree with your efforts and concern for small business / farm industry, You're on the wrong side of the mountain and your population of 38,000 means nothing to the movement afoot to Californicate WA.

The We_t side controls the vote AND "employee" voters seriously curtail new business interests and job creation. Thus WA businesses are running to ID, TX, CO and even OR to find a better 'climate'.

The liberal WA supreme court will see to it that the will of the Governor prevails. (Christine salivates...."Let's be JUST like California !!!"). Her wish is coming closer.

[CarlB328]

So having a population that can afford to buy things is bad for business?

[Oldgoat38]

Originally Posted by CarlB328

So having a population that can afford to buy things is bad for business?

Here's the Economics 101 reason for not raising minimum wages: There are lots and lots of people who are/wish to be in the work force that have a low intelligence/skill level.

A business can't afford to hire bottom-rung workers if they aren't productive enough to cover the minimum wage plus the considerable overhead that they incur.

If you could create wealth for workers by raising the minimum wage then, duh, raise it to $30 an hour. Then they could spend, spend, spend. That is, if anyone would hire them.

So how's WA's unemployment rate these days? Do you really think raising the minimum wage is going to lower the unemployment rate ???

[cdelena]

Minimum wage is a stupid concept is a free society with freedom of choice and a desire to have competitive commerce. I should be free to choose how much it takes to buy my labor and an employer should be free to choose how much he will pay. If we are on the same page I go to work, if not we both keep looking.

It appears to me that our high minimum wage reduces jobs and employers both.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by CarlB328

So having a population that can afford to buy things is bad for business?

As an employer, if wages are raised, you have some choices to make...
1. Raise prices--that's not good for any one, fewer people buy then driving business down. The people who suppposedly then can afford to buy things then are usually right back where they started. Or laid off, since fewer people buy.

2. Cut costs. Most any business I know, especially with the economy doing what it's done for the last couple of years, is already operating pretty close to the bone. Any of you out there has a business just being extravagant with expenses? The single biggest cost to nearly any business? Salaries and benefits.

3. Lay off the people who are supposed to get the state-mandated pay hike. Unfortunately, studies have shown that this is often what happens as the other two above options are not often really options. Other studies have shown that higher minimum wages is one factor contributing to the lessening of work opportunities for teens.

Those are basically an employers options.

It does sound like this case has legal merit given what the wage hike is supposed to be linked to. But I fear Stealth Rabbit's opinions on the state supreme court may be correct.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by CarlB328

So having a population that can afford to buy things is bad for business?

Have you ever been an employer in WA State?

It is a nightmare, especially for a small growing business. The overhead of dealing with UI, L&I, and benefits will kill you. (It is recommended you subcontract ALL that headache. That will cost you even more, but is certainly worth it. One reporting error / fine will cover a few months of a payroll service expense.

Having that entry level employee that is unskilled is even more of a burden (by about $20/hr in costs + training & reimbursing theft and errors). In my most recent survey of small business employers and their workforce issues they mentioned this: "Having access to employees who could SPELL, read, write, and understand how to use simple devices like; a tape measure, hammer, saw, keyboard, broom, dust cloth, coffee pot, automobile" would be REALLY NICE.

I was working with some clients in WorkSource office and it is amazing how inept and angry / violent some of the unemployed are. Pretty scary to make them a 'customer-facing' representative (liability) of the company you have been working years to develop.

"Entitlement", is a concept the average entry level worker has a good grasp on.
"Incentive", responsibility, profit, productivity, liability, are areas that could use a little work.

[Sobefobik]

Originally Posted by cdelena

Minimum wage is a stupid concept is a free society with freedom of choice and a desire to have competitive commerce. I should be free to choose how much it takes to buy my labor and an employer should be free to choose how much he will pay. If we are on the same page I go to work, if not we both keep looking.

It appears to me that our high minimum wage reduces jobs and employers both.

Maybe the problem is that people don't know much about history these days.

Do you really think that if an employer had the choice to choose what the "minimum" wage would be, that it would be fair to employees? That's not what history shows. Employees worked for hours and hours and hours with little breaks--if any--and many were very young and with extremely low wages. And if you were injured? You were fired and thrown out. No chance of getting a job once that happened!

With your mindset you would not have a job, or you would be forced to accept what the employers wanted to pay. And $8.50 an hour is NOTHING.

[GreenScoutII]

Originally Posted by Sobefobik

Maybe the problem is that people don't know much about history these days.

Do you really think that if an employer had the choice to choose what the "minimum" wage would be, that it would be fair to employees? That's not what history shows. Employees worked for hours and hours and hours with little breaks--if any--and many were very young and with extremely low wages. And if you were injured? You were fired and thrown out. No chance of getting a job once that happened!

With your mindset you would not have a job, or you would be forced to accept what the employers wanted to pay. And $8.50 an hour is NOTHING.

[lynxis]

Looks Like I will have to start cutting down on the number of employees that I have