WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR BY 2026 THE BUMPED TO $15 WOULD NOT HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE AMENDMENT 2 CALLS FOR RAISING THE WAGE TO $10 PER HOUR BEGINNING ON SEPTEMBER 30TH NEXT YEAR IT WOULD THEN INCREASE
BY $1 A YEAR TO 2026 AND TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND AMENDMENT TO INCLUDING THE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST WE BEGIN THIS EVENING WITH THE DEBATE JOINING US OR ERIC CLINTON.
HE’S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITES HERE LOCAL 737 THE HOTEL AND REST.
EMPLOYEES UNION ARGUING FOR AMENDMENT TO AND BILL HURLEY THE FLORIDA STATE DIRECTOR FOR THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS ARE NFIB ARGUING AGAINST THE MEASURE
GENTLEMEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
MR. CLINTON.
LET’S TALK ABOUT FLORIDA’S MINIMUM WAGE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW FOR NON TIPPED WORKERS.
IT’S 856 AN HOUR AND FLORIDA, WHICH IF MY MATH IS RIGHT IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 17 THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR.
IT WOULD GO UP TO ABOUT THIRTY ONE THOUSAND A YEAR WITH A $15 MINIMUM WAGE TALK TO ME.
FIRST OF ALL, ESPECIALLY IN OUR HOSPITALITY AND SERVICE INDUSTRY JOBS HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR PEOPLE TO GET BY ON THAT 856 AN HOUR RIGHT NOW, ARE THEY WORK IN COUPLE OF DIFFERENT JOBS?
YEAH, PEOPLE DON’T GET BY ON 856 AN HOUR.
THEY HAVE TO WORK MULTIPLE JOBS.
THEY ALSO HAVE TO RELY ON GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE AND THAT’S SOMETHING TO THAT WE ALL SHOULD REMEMBER IS THAT IF WE’RE GOING TO PAY WORKERS POVERTY WAGES, AND THEY’RE GOING TO LIVE BELOW
THE POVERTY LINE TAXPAYERS THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS WILL SUBSIDIZE THOSE WAGES THAT CORPORATIONS ARE PAYING.
AND I DO, YOU KNOW PEOPLE PERSONALLY WHO ARE SAYING THIS HAS GOT A PASS.
IT’S GOT A PASS OR I DON’T KNOW HOW I’M GOING SUPPORT MY FAMILY.
WELL, YEAH, THIS IS I MEAN LOOK FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE UNION AT DISNEY WE PASSED THE SAME THING TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE FOUGHT IN OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FOR A PATHWAY TO 15 AND NOW WE’RE
THOSE SAME WORKERS ARE TELLING THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO WORK IN OTHER HOSPITALITY JOBS OUTSIDE OF DISNEY THAT THEY NEED TO VOTE FOR THIS AS WELL.
FLORIDA WORKERS NEED A RAISE.
THERE’S JUST NO WAY ABOUT IT IS TIME TO DO THIS.
MR. HURLEY.
MOST BUSINESSES ARE SMALL BUSINESSES WILL THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS?
BE ABLE TO AFFORD A STEADILY INCREASE MINIMUM WAGE UP TO $15.
NO AND MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS ARE ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ESTABLISH A $15 MINIMUM WAGE IN NOVEMBER.
AND STAYING WITH MR. HURLEY A STUDY BY THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE SAYS EVEN IN $15 IS NOT CONSIDERED A LIVING WAGE, ISN’T IT?
TRUE THAT IF PEOPLE MAKE MORE THEY WILL ACTUALLY SPEND MORE MAKING UP FOR THE ADDITIONAL SALARIES BUSINESS OWNERS WOULD PAY WORKERS.
SURE, BUT THE MONEY HAS TO BEGIN SOMEWHERE.
WE’RE ALL FOR CIRCULATING MONEY THROUGH THE ECONOMY, BUT THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE DON’T NEED TO STATE THE OBVIOUS THROUGH THE COVID SHUT DOWN.
WE STILL HAVE ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF BUSINESSES SMALL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES OUT THERE THAT ARE JUST ON THE CUSP 20 PERCENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
DON’T THINK THEY MIGHT NOT BE AROUND THINK THEY MAY NOT BE AROUND IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
SO THIS IS AN ECONOMIC DISRUPTION TO THEM IN A HUGE ADDITIONAL COST THAT THEY’RE ASKING THE VOTERS TO STAND BY SMALL BUSINESSES STAND BY THE SMALL BUSINESSES OF FLORIDA AND
VOTE AMENDMENT TO DOWN THE ARGUMENT FROM THE BUSINESS INDUSTRY IS IF YOU WAGE THEN THEY HAVE TO LAY OFF PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD IT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?
WELL, YOU KNOW LOOK THAT’S JUST THAT’S I DON’T BELIEVE THAT THAT’S THE CASE IN PLACES THAT HAVE PASSED IT, AND I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT PLACES LIKE, CALIFORNIA OR WASHINGTON STATE.
I’M TALKING ABOUT PLACES LIKE, MISSOURI OR ARKANSAS OR ARIZONA WHO HAVE ALSO PASSED MINIMUM WAGE LAWS THAT HAVE INCREASED IT IN A PHASED IN A WAY.
WE’RE NOT TAUGHT THEM.
BY THE WAY.
THIS AMENDMENT DOESN’T TAKE PEOPLE 2:15 TOMORROW.
IT IS A SLOW PHASED-IN APPROACH BY BY BETWEEN NOW AND 2020 SIX.
THIS IS WE’LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME PLENTY OF TIME TO PLAN AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.
MR. CLINTON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN BE AFFECTED BY THIS AS YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A FINANCIAL IMPACT STUDY DONE ON AMENDMENT TO AND IF IT PASSES IT WILL COST ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY
MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR BY 2027 WITH MOST OF THE ADDED COSTS BEING DROPPED ON SCHOOLS AND THAT COULD PUT PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
WILL PUT PUT OUT OF WORK AT ALL.
I THINK IT WILL PUT MORE MONEY BACK INTO THE ECONOMY.
AND THIS IS LIKE LOOKING AT IT COMES FROM ONE PLACE OR THE OTHER PEOPLE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, WHICH MIT SAYS IS SIXTEEN DOLLARS AND FOURTEEN CENTS PER HOUR THAT IS FOR TO IN COMES
WITH TWO CHILDREN IF YOU’RE BELOW THAT YOU’RE DRAWING ON THE GOVERNMENT IN SOME OTHER WAY WHETHER ITS FOOD STAMPS, THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT MEDICAID MEDICARE.
THEY’RE DIFFERENT SOCIAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS THAT AS TAXPAYERS, WE’RE ALL CONTRIBUTING TO THAT POT.
AND THEN THEREFORE BIG CORPORATIONS ARE PAYING WORKERS POVERTY WAGES AND TAKING THE BENEFIT OF THAT.
MR. HURLEY, 540 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR WOULD BE LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE STATE BUDGET.
WOULDN’T THAT BE JUSTIFIED TO GENERATE MORE SPENDING MY SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS AND MORE HOME-BUYING GENERATION OF OF MORE SALES TAX REVENUES.
WELL, I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE COMPARISONS TO THE STATE BUDGET, BUT IT SHOULD BE NOTED AS WELL.
I REPRESENT SMALL BUSINESS, BUT AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES THE COST TO ALL OF OUR GOVERNMENT AS WELL.
THERE ARE ESTIMATES THAT BY THE TIME THIS COMES TO FULLY EFFECT WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL HALF BILLION DOLLAR IN LABOR COSTS JUST FOR GOVERNMENT, BUT I’M HERE TO REPRESENT MAIN STREET
REPRESENT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND WHAT WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS OUT THERE IS THERE’S MISMATCH BETWEEN THE WORKFORCE IN THE HOPS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THERE’S A LOT OF UNUSUAL THINGS GOING ON IN OUR ECONOMY RIGHT NOW AND ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL AS WE HAVE RECORD HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS PARTICULARLY AT THE OUTSET OF
THIS CRISIS AND YET AT THE SAME TIME.
WE HAVE A LABOR SHORTAGE.
THAT WAS THE PRIMARY PREVAILING CONDITION OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMY AS WE WENT INTO THE COVID COMPRISES THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN THE HIGHEST CONCERN OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WAS
WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY IN THE STRANGEST WAY.
THAT’S STILL VERY PERSISTENT THROUGH THIS COVID IN THROU OF THIS DISLOCATION A LOT OF BUSINESSES.
ARE STRUGGLING TRYING TO HIRE WORKERS 23% OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW SAY THEY’RE GOING TO CREATE NEW JOBS IN THE NEXT QUARTER 56% OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE JOBS THAT
ARE AVAILABLE NOW, BUT HERE’S THE SHOCKER OF THOSE THAT HAVE JOBS AVAILABLE EIGHTY PERCENT OF THEM SAY THAT THEY THEY DON’T HAVE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS AVAILABLE.
AND 30 PERCENT OF BUSINESSES THAT HAVE JOBS AVAILABLE SAY THAT THEY HAVE PERSISTENT JOB OPENINGS THAT THEY CANNOT FEEL FILL THAT BECOMES A REAL DIFFICULTY FOR A SMALL BUSINESS
OWNER BECAUSE THEY’VE GOT TO GO BACK TO THAT CUSTOMER AND SAY LISTEN, I’D LOVE TO SELL YOU.
THIS GOOD IS PRODUCT THE SERVICE, BUT I CAN’T DELIVER IT TO YOU.
NOW.
THERE’S SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO GOING TO FIX THAT AND THAT’S CALLED WAGES INCREASING AND WE ARE SEEING THAT WAY.
JUST WERE IN ARE INCREASING DURING THIS COVID CRISIS BECAUSE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE REACTING TO THIS LABOR SHORTAGE AND ARE THERE INCREASING WAGES?
IS THERE A REINVESTMENT ELEMENT TO AMENDMENT TO IN OTHER WORDS IF YOU PAY PEOPLE MORE THEY WILL SPEND MORE TALK ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I THINK THAT’S WHAT YES, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY AN INVESTMENT HERE IN AMENDMENT TO IN OUR IN OUR STATE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE’VE SEEN IT FROM DISNEY WORKERS.
WE’VE SEEN WORKERS AT DISNEY.
WE’VE GONE FROM $10 AN HOUR TO $14 AN HOUR IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS BE ABLE TO FIND NEW MODES OF TRANSPORTATION TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEIR LIVING SITUATION TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE
THEIR OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THAT WILL HAPPEN HERE AS WELL.
THIS IS ABOUT LIFTING UP LIFTING UP THE BOATS, YOU KNOW, LIKE A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS.
THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND AND VOTING FOR AMENDMENT 2 IS THE RIGHT TO DO.
LET’S TALK ABOUT MR. CLINTON THE IDEA THAT IF THIS MEASURE DOESN’T PASS ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE LOCAL WORKFORCE THAT THEY MAY MOVE TO STATES THAT DO HAVE EITHER THAT CURRENT OR
ESCALATING MINIMUM WAGE GETTING UP TO $15 AN HOUR?
I MEAN CERTAINLY WORKERS ARE ALWAYS EVALUATING WHAT THEIR WHAT THEIR BEST TO OPTIONS ARE I THINK FLORIDA PROVIDES WORLD-CLASS SERVICE WORLD-CLASS HOSPITALITY.
THAT’S WHY WE’RE THE NUMBER ONE TRAVEL DESTINATION PRIOR TO COVID-19 TO BE THE NUMBER ONE TRAVEL DESTINATION AFTERWARD AND IT’S BECAUSE OF THE HARD-WORKING HOSPITALITY WORKERS ACROSS THIS
STATE OF FLORIDA IS GOING TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IF STATES IN THE SOUTH AND STATES AROUND US OTHER TOURS.
MARKETS ARE GOING TO PASS LAWS LIKE THIS FLORIDA IS GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE THEIR WAGES TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, BUT IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT BEING COMPETITIVE.
IT’S ALSO ABOUT THE RIGHT THING TO DO THE UNITED WAY RELEASED A STUDY CALLED THE ALICE REPORT THAT SAYS PEOPLE MAKING NINE TEN ELEVEN DOLLARS AN HOUR ARE NOT EVEN ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY CALL
SURVIVING.
I MEAN AS A SOCIETY AS A COMMUNITY, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD WANT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO DO BETTER THAN BARRY.
SURVIVING.
I WANT TO PLAY YOU A CLIP AND WE’D LIKE TO PLAY A CLIP FROM A VIDEO FROM THE GROUP SAY FLORIDA JOBS, WHICH IS HEADED BY THE FLORIDA RESTAURANT AND LODGING ASSOCIATION IN OPPOSITION TO
AMENDMENT TO TAKE A LISTEN.
AMENDMENT 2 WAS THE PAST I WOULD I FEEL DEVASTATED I WOULD BE DEVASTATED.
I WORRY ABOUT IT NOW LIKE WHEN I GO HOME AT NIGHT JUST THE THOUGHT OF THAT WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT, IT SCARES ME.
IT SCARES THAT I’M NOT GOING TO MR. HURLEY.
THIS AMENDMENT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT A CORONA VIRUS HAS DELIVERED THAT MAJOR HIT TO OUR ECONOMY.
YOU MENTIONED THIS SOME AND FLORIDA, PLEASE TELL US HOW THAT’S AFFECTED BUSINESSES BIG AND SMALL AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT RECOVERY BEFORE BUSINESSES WILL BE ABLE
TO AFFORD SOME OF THESE THINGS AGAIN.
WELL, IT IS TRUE THAT THE MINIMUM WAGE HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER AND IT’LL BE AROUND MUCH LONGER AFTER THIS AMENDMENT PASSES OR FAILS AS I SAID WE HAVE IN A MINIMUM WAGE IN THE
CONSTITUTION ALREADY.
WE’RE AFRAID THAT WILL STIFLES THE THE ENERGETIC GROWTH THAT WE’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN CERTAIN SECTORS NOW, I’M NOT GOING TO CANDY-COAT IT.
THERE ARE CERTAIN INDUSTRY SECTORS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED AND THEY’RE THEY’RE IMPORTANT SECTORS TO FLORIDA THE WOODY SECTOR, THAT MEANS HOTELS RESTAURANTS BARS TAVERNS AND
TOURISM IS STILL SUFFERING MIGHTILY AND THERE’S GREAT DISLOCATION IN THAT BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMY THAT ARE FLOURISHING
MANUFACTURING FOR ONE CONSTRUCTION OTHER SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY EXPANDING RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IN THE FLORIDA ECONOMY IS NOT AN ADEQUATE RICK WAGES.
WE HAVE A MISMATCH BETWEEN THE TALENTS OF THE WORKFORCE.
A AND THE IN THE PRODUCTION NEEDS OF THE ECONOMY.
WE’RE PRODUCING GOODS THAT ARE NOT CONSUMABLE AND WE’RE NOT NOT ABLE TO PRODUCE THE GOODS THAT THE CONSUMERS ARE EAGER TO BUY RIGHT NOW, AND THAT’S THAT’S GOING TO BE PAINFUL AS THE
FLORIDA ECONOMY ADJUSTS, BUT IT’S WE’RE NOT GOING TO MAGICALLY FIX ALL THE DISLOCATION IN OUR ECONOMY WITH THE FIAT OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
I’LL GIVE EACH OF YOU 30 SECONDS FOR A CLOSING STATEMENT.
EVENIN, MR. HURLEY BEGIN WITH YOU.
YEAH, THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS REPRESENTS OVER 10,000 SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN FLORIDA THEIR MAIN STREET.
THERE ARE THE MOM AND POP BUSINESSES THAT YOU LIKE TO GO TO WE REALIZE THAT WE MISS THEM.
WE MISS THEM AN AWFUL LOT WHEN THEY GET CLOSE DOWN.
THEY’RE VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THEY’RE $15 MINIMUM WAGE IN NOVEMBER IS IMPOSED UPON THEM ALL THE CHALLENGES ALL THE EFFORTS.
THEY’VE GONE THROUGH ALL 2020 TO GET THEIR DOORS BACK OPEN IS GOING TO BE MET WITH ANOTHER HUGE OBSTACLE, PLEASE SAY FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESSES AND VOTE.
NO ON THE AMENDMENT TO LOOK I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT FLORIDA VOTERS VOTE YES ON AMENDMENT TO FLORIDA WORKERS NEED A RAISE.
WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN DISNEY WORKERS DISNEY WORKERS FOUGHT FOR IT.
FLORIDA WORKERS CAN DO.
SAME I ENCOURAGE ALL WORKING MEN AND WOMEN IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO VOTE YES ON AMENDMENT TO ERIC CLINTON PRESIDENT OF UNITED HERE LOCAL 737 AND BEER HURLEY OF NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
INDEPENDENT BUSINESS.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT AMENDMENT T