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Lower wage will keep teens in job market
September 2016 · Michael Saltsman · Des Moines Register
In a Sept. 26 Iowa View, eight Polk County high-school students objected to a proposed youth minimum wage set at 85 percent of the full minimum wage [Lower minimum wage for youth is age discrimination]. The students huff: “Why would we be paid lower than our older co-workers … only because of our age?” The question answers itself. If employers are forced to pay a starting wage that’s nearly 50… -
Governor Christie put the interests of working families ahead of union interests
September 2016 · Michael Saltsman · North Jersey Record
Governor Christie put the interests of working families ahead of union interests when he recently vetoed a proposed $15-an-hour minimum wage. A $15 minimum wage would have severely reduced employment opportunities in New Jersey. Drs. David Macpherson of Trinity University and William Even of Miami University, following a methodology developed by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, estimated that the state would lose more than 33,000 jobs as… -
$15-an-hour minimum wage not the answer
August 2016 · Michael Saltsman · Philadelphia Inquirer
A commentary supported its call for a $15 federal minimum wage by pointing out that nearly half of the American workforce makes less than this (“Agenda for working families,” Monday). But that is hardly a justification for such a wage hike; in fact, it’s an illustration of how extreme the proposal is. When employers can’t offset such cost increases through higher prices, fewer jobs and more automation are… -
Proposed $15 minimum wage unprecedented
August 2016 · Michael Saltsman · Baltimore Sun
AS Baltimore debates a $15 minimum wage, The Sun recalled how the city faced a similar decision in 1964. In fact, today’s proposal is far more extreme (“This isn’t the first time Baltimore has debated the minimum wage,” July 29). The 1964 proposal that the City Council considered was for a one-dollar hourly minimum wage. Adjusted for inflation, that’s equivalent to $7.78 per hour in today’s dollars —… -
Minimum Wage Reality
July 2016 · Michael Saltsman · Boston Globe
RENÉE LOTH, in a recent piece that was critical of my organization (“Close the ‘subminimum’ wage loophole,” Opinion, July 11), accuses employers of exploiting young employees by paying them a starting wage of less than $15 an hour. In fact, it’s customers’ price sensitivity, not greedy employers, that’s to blame. A typical restaurant keeps just 3 to 5 cents in profit from each sales dollar, after paying expenses such… -
The $15 mistake
May 2016 · Michael Saltsman · Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun editorial board is right that a $15 wage hike, “is not a decision to be taken lightly” (“A $15 minimum wage? Not so fast,” May 1). In fact, a majority of experts believe it’s a decision that shouldn’t be made at all. The University of New Hampshire Survey Center conducted a survey of U.S. labor economists last year regarding their opinions on this topic…