Natural retailer shares minimum wage hike support with U.S. labor secretaryNatural retailer shares minimum wage hike support with U.S. labor secretary

Paying a living wage is good business, says independent natural retailer Michael Kanter, who played host to U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez and other Cambridge, Mass.-area businesspeople Thursday.

Perez visited Cambridge Naturals as part of a two-day, Boston-area tour to advance President Obama's idea to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10 an hour.

The business owners at the meeting pay as much as $14 an hour.

"Paying staff a living wage encourages them to be happier and more content," Kanter told Natural Foods Merchandiser. "That is expressed in superior customer service, better teamwork, less turnover--meaning less hiring and training, both of which are very costly.

"As a result, and I am absolutely convinced of this, our customers feel the positive energy and appreciate the fact that the store they are supporting is kind and fair to its staff. Bottom line is the bottom line--it helps our business grow!"

Kanter also points to the business benefits of a better-paid community that not only would gain purchasing power but would have reduced need for federal assistance.

In the links below, read more about Perez's tour as reported by the Boston Globe and see a slide show of the Cambridge Naturals visit on the U.S. Department of Labor's website.

US Labor secretary focusing on income inequality

March 13, 2014 ·What gets US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez out of bed in the morning? Statistics like this: The unemployment rate for black men remains nearly double that of white men. ...
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Photo Gallery: Secretary Perez Meets With Small Business Owners in Cambridge, Mass. to Discuss Raising the Minimum Wage (March 13, 2014)

March 14, 2014 · www.dol.gov · Photo 1 of 6 Secretary Perez at Cambridge Naturals health store with owners Michael Kanter and Elizabeth Stagle.
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