After weekend-long negotiations, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and a coalition of three dozen local small businesses announced a modification to the current minimum wage proposal in an attempt to quell fears that the increase would hurt businesses financially.
\We did not get anything like 100 percent of what we asked for,"" said Sandy Torkildson, president of the Greater State Street Business Association and a leader of the coalition. ""It is a compromise, but it is one we feel we can live with.""
The agreement includes three changes to the current proposal, including an adjustment that would give businesses one more year before the minimum wage reaches $7.75 per hour, while at the same time speed up the pace on the $5.70 and $6.50 per hour increases.
""If you get a little bit of an increase each year, you can accommodate that a lot more,"" Torkildson said.
Despite hearing research on employee wages and encouragement from the coalition to consider the employers' perspective, Cieslewicz said his top priority remains helping local workers at the bottom of the economic ladder.
""I am proud to be working with a group of dedicated local business owners who want to help raise wages in Madison. We asked for input rather than flat opposition, we got it, and we need to listen to it,"" Cieslewicz said in a press release. He added the revised proposal still meets his priority.
John McCabe, manager of Avol's Bookstore, 240 W. Gilman St., said this changes are an improvement to the original proposal. He added local business owners are not so much against raising the minimum wage as they are concerned over how soon they will have to implement it.
Also included in the new proposal is a requirement that tipped employees receive a $2.55 wage. If an employee does not receive enough in tips, the employer must compensate so the employee receives the new minimum wage.
Mark Paradise, manager of the Sunroom Caf??, 638 State St., said he is not concerned this portion of the proposal will hurt his business financially, adding he already decided he ""would live with whatever was decided.""
The City Council will meet and vote on the proposal tonight.
