Alliance encourages Rockland voters to vote ‘No’ on the minimum wage referendum
Save Rockland Business is an informal Alliance of businesses and organizations who share concern about the minimum wage referendum question on the Rockland ballot. The Alliance encourages Rockland voters to vote ‘No’ on the minimum wage referendum question.
The Alliance has come together in response to the action of the Rockland City Council to place the issue of a local minimum wage on the current ballot following discussion at one meeting on September 14 – one week prior to the deadline for printing ballots. If approved by referendum vote, the new ordinance would increase the minimum wage for Rockland employers with over 25 employees to $15 per hour by 2024.
The Alliance agrees that there are real challenges to living affordably in Rockland. However, placing additional burden on Rockland businesses to bring the minimum wage in Rockland to the same level as cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and New York as we recover from a pandemic is the wrong solution, with potentially disastrous results for local businesses and the employees that this ordinance would supposedly help. The people of Maine have already recently addressed minimum wage, which will continue to rise annually with increases in the Consumer Price Index. Maine’s minimum wage is already one of the highest in the country at 63% above the federal minimum wage, and only the states of California, Massachusetts, and Washington have a higher minimum wage.
To date, the following businesses and organizations have joined the Save Rockland Business Alliance.
Archer’s On The Pier
ASK…For Home Care
Brass Compass Café
Club House II
ERA Cousens Realty
Garden Island Laundromat
Heal Accounting
Homeshare, Inc.
Hospitality Maine
Knight Marine Service
Loyal Biscuit Co.
Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association
Maine State Chamber of Commerce
Maritime Energy
Maritime Farms Stores
OrganiClean
Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce
Puffin’s Nest
Retail Association of Maine
Rock Harbor Brewing Co.
Rockland Harbor Hotel
Sierra Peaks
Snowdrop Confections
Southend Grocery
SummerMaine Properties
Sweet Peas Family Consignment
Trackside Station
The Alliance continues to grow, and more businesses and organizations are welcome to express their support for Save Rockland Business by emailing info@saverocklandbusiness.com.
The Alliance is appreciative of the local businesses and statewide organizations with members in Rockland who have stepped up to provide funding and volunteer assistance for this educational effort. This funding removes the financial burden on the many struggling Rockland businesses to get the message out in response to this last-minute referendum question. The Alliance is also grateful to the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce for providing administrative support to the Alliance, and to the Chamber’s board for their public statement issued on Friday.
Those wishing to learn more about the Save Rockland Business Alliance are encouraged to visit their website at SaveRocklandBusiness.com or their Facebook page at facebook.com/SaveRocklandBusiness.
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