As a native of Baltimore and a third generation President of a ninety-six-year-old manufacturing business with sixty-eight employees located in Park Heights, I am opposed to the $15 min wage bill because it will hurt not only my company’s competitiveness, but hurt our entire city.
Baltimore needs more jobs, training, and skills to prosper. What entrepreneur with visions of making more than $500,000 in sales or hiring more than 25 employees is going to start a business in our city? How can existing, well-established businesses like mine, compete with companies in other states? How is my company going to survive when we will have to start apprentices at journeymen wages? Won’t our existing journeymen want a raise too? Will our customers pay more for our products made in Baltimore? If not, how will we pay for the increases?
It’s hard to believe that our company, which has endured wars, recessions, depressions, outsourcing, off-shoring, and workforce shortages is being forced into economic hardship by our own city government. It’s also shocking to think that our local businesses will have to pay more for the same unskilled employees who will still have to be trained on-the-job.
At most companies, like mine, employees advance in wages based on attendance, merit, and job performance. This bill disregards those normal business practices, which will make Baltimore undesirable for employers. As a result, there will be fewer jobs for the next generation – effectively hurting those whom the bill is intended to help as well as those who want to create more jobs in the city.
Overall – a LOSE-LOSE proposition for Baltimore!
John D. Danko, President 7_31_2016
©2024