Minimum wage

I just saw a news report about businesses that plan to continue to fight against raising the minimum wage. The video accompanying the story was from Wild Eggs. Seriously? A place that charges $15 for breakfast and nearly always has a waiting line wants us to believe they'll go under if they're required to boost wages by 50 cents an hour?

I'd like to see a list of all the businesses actively fighting the increase, just so I know who not to patronize.

[Robin Garr]

For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure that Wild Eggs is not using high-price pastured eggs, either.

We already pay above minimum, so we're not on your list, Richard.

The servers' pay is exempt from this ordinance. So who else is making minimum wage - the bussers?

Wild Eggs already pays their non-tipped staff way above minimum wage.

Wild Eggs already pays their non-tipped staff way above minimum wage.

I actually kind assumed that, which makes it a mystery to me as to why they would choose to choose this hill on which to fight a battle.

[Robin Garr]

Wild Eggs already pays their non-tipped staff way above minimum wage.

I actually kind assumed that, which makes it a mystery to me as to why they would choose to choose this hill on which to fight a battle.

Or maybe the station just grabbed some random "B-roll" and pulled old video about Wild Eggs out of a stack? That wouldn't be very fair, but I can easily imagine it. Or did the video have someone from Wild Eggs actually talking about minimum wage?

No, it was just video of the kitchen at work, I believe, although the logo on their shirts was clearly visible. Could have been the random b-roll, I suppose.

On the topic of wages, though, I was pleased by the Supreme Court ruling about overtime. Most of my 10 years of working for a restaurant company was under the pay system we (politically incorrectly) dubbed "Chinese overtime." Base pay for 40 hours and half the minimum wage rate for every hour over that. Once you hit 60 hours or so it worked out to being paid less than you would be under a normal hourly wage. We were always scheduled for 55 hours but I don't think I ever worked less than 70.

And hats off to the guy from Coal's on the evening news who talked about the benefits of paying higher wages. We ate there on Saturday, by coincidence, and it was great.

I'd like to see a list of all the businesses actively fighting the increase, just so I know who not to patronize.

Why not use the list to go to those restaurants to tip it's underpaid servers heavily?