Democrats Feel Business Heat to Delay Their Minimum-Wage Hikes
- Virus persuades Democrats to hold off on some wage increases
- Labor groups say workers will need raises when they return
A boarded up Le Central Bistro stands in San Francisco, California, U.S.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Business groups are pressuring Democratic officials in several states to postpone planned minimum-wage increases, arguing that embattled businesses can’t afford to give workers a raise as they face the coronavirus-related economic crisis.
Virginia, California, Illinois, Michigan and Massachusetts are among the states where small-business advocates and groups representing restaurants, hotels and other industries are urging delays in wage increases agreed to before the outbreak, and its related business shutdowns, began.