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Virginia Moves Closer To Raising Minimum Wage

Zach Armstrong | February 20, 2020

Topics: General Assembly 2020, minimum wage, minimum wage increase, Reconciliation, Steve Newman, The Commonwealth Institute, World Of Mirth

With federal minimum wage stuck at $7.25/hour for over a decade, the General Assembly is finally trying to get Virginia workers a little more cash.

For the first time in over a decade, Virginia’s workers might be getting a raise.

The Senate passed a bill by a vote of 21-19 that would incrementally increase the commonwealth’s minimum wage to $15 by the year 2025. A House of Delegates bill that is largely identical passed in the House on the same day, by a vote of 55-45.

Both bills are now working their way through the General Assembly’s reconciliation process, in which the bills are combined into a single bill that eliminates any inconsistencies between the two. However, short of a few details, it seems likely that a minimum wage increase of some sort will reach the governor’s desk.

As the legislation attempts to alleviate worker’s incomes, the poverty rate in Virginia stands at 10.1 percent. According to the Commonwealth Institute, 1.2 million Virginia workers would benefit from a $15 minimum wage increase. 

Richmond resident Thomas Scott, who works two jobs that pay under minimum wage, believes that the bill will greatly benefit low paid workers. 

“I support the $15 minimum wage,” said Scott. “If I had one I’d be able to quit my delivery job and focus on helping at-risk kids at public schools.”

If Gov. Northam signs the eventual bill, the commonwealth would join several others in raising their minimum wage laws. The year began with 21 states raising their minimum wages, including Ohio, Florida, Maryland, and New York. 

Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash

World of Mirth, which remains the only locally-owned alternative toy store in Richmond, fully embraces the bills, along with other pro-labor legislation. The Carytown small business already starts employees above the current minimum wage, as do quite a few other businesses.  

“I completely support raising the minimum wage to a living wage,” said World of Mirth owner Thea Brown. “Virginia has been behind the times in this matter, and if we want to attract workers to our state, we have to be able to compete with a living wage.”

Republican Senator Steve Newman, however, does not support the increase. He addressed his reasons for opposing the law in a recent facebook post. “I recognize the need for people to make a living wage and I fully support that concept,” Newman stated. “But, I believe setting a minimum wage should include thoughtful consideration of many factors, including each region’s economy, workforce, and cost of living.”

Proponents of the legislation are pointing to the bill’s gradual increase in wages over a five-year span as a factor that will help businesses adjust. The bill increases the state’s minimum wage to $10 by 2020; $11 by 2021;  $12 by 2022; to $13 by 2023; to $14 by 2024; and to $15 by 2025.

“I realize that a jump from the current rate to $15 overnight would not be manageable for most small businesses,” said Brown. “But I believe that the annual incremental increase is a fair compromise.”

Economic reports on the effects of wage increases have been conflicting. A study by the University of California Berkeley found that Seattle’s economy improved and workers were helped after the city increased its minimum wage five years ago. However, a study by the University of Washington found the law had cost jobs. 

“Putting a fair wage into the hands of citizens will allow them to put more money back into our economy, instead of worrying if they can cover their bills,” said Brown. 

Virginia last raised its minimum wage in 2009, when a three-part process was completed to raise the threshold from $5.15 to $7.25. This occurred due to an increase in federal minimum wage requirements. However, the current bills in the General Assembly would only affect wages in Virginia.

Prior efforts to lift the minimum wage have failed. Republican lawmakers in the House of Delegates voted down two bills in 2014 that increased the minimum wage rate. During the 2018 session, a bill to eventually raise the state’s minimum wage to $11.25 passed the Senate, but subsequently failed in a House committee. 

“It is imperative to compensate people for their work, allowing them to be financially able to take care of themselves and whomever else they choose,” said Brown.

Top Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Richmond’s Local Business Find Ways To Thrive In a Big-Box World

Ash Griffith | April 19, 2019

Topics: Carytown, chop suey books, local businesses, RVA 36, Vinyl Conflict, World Of Mirth

*This article originally appeared in RVA Mag #36, on the streets now at all your favorite spots.

We live in a convenience-based society. Between Amazon Prime shipping various household needs straight to our doors, and food apps like DoorDash and UberEats keeping us well-fed without leaving the couch, it’s become more convenient than ever to satisfy all our needs online. As city dwellers, we want life to be easier, cheaper, and more convenient — and multinational corporations have become very skilled in fulfilling those desires.

But part of what makes Richmond so special to its natives, and to the consistent string of expats who flock to our streets, is the plethora of unique local businesses thriving in the city’s locally-oriented business districts. There is something for almost everyone here: from costume supplies at Premiere Costumes to used video games at Bits and Pixels, and comic books at Velocity Comics. Richmond’s merchants know how to do local business right; more importantly, the city’s residents do what they can to keep them alive. If Amazon is Goliath, neighborhoods like Carytown are our David.

Despite the looming outsourced shadow of big-box giants, local business tends to do pretty well in the city. While there is no such thing as an average day for any small business owner, there are still more ups than downs to owning an independent business, having no corporate man in the sky telling you what you can and can’t do with your store.

“There is no wrong way of doing things,” said Vinyl Conflict owner Bobby Egger. “If you get a wild idea that makes no sense to anyone but you, you can just go ahead and do it. I’ve come up with some of my best [and some of] my worst ideas that way.”

“We are controlled locally, so we can order the books that we want,” said Chop Suey Books owner Ward Tefft. “We can plan events and do things that are not middle-of-the-road. We take stands on things for social justice, which we’re happy to have the opportunity to do, and not [try to] please everybody, which corporate does. We don’t try to offend, but we don’t shy away from offending someone who doesn’t support social justice issues.”

World Of Mirth owner Thea Brown also appreciates the opportunity to more-readily support her community. Last, year the store hosted a donation drive to gather toilet paper for Richmond Public Schools. During the government shutdown earlier this year, World of Mirth worked to help furloughed federal employees give gifts to their children with January and February birthdays.

Sometimes reasons for local businesses to be cheerful come from unlikely places. One of those came for World Of Mirth when international toy giant Toys R Us closed all of its U.S. stores — this provided a small, but welcome, bump in new customers.

“At first, we had an influx of customers that thought Toys R Us was the only toy store,” said Brown. “That was kind of interesting. [Customers also noticed] ‘Wow, you’re really nice here!’ Well, of course — we want you to come back.”

Books and music have been tricky businesses since the advent of the internet, with electronic versions of both becoming more accessible to consumers with each passing year. Even for customers who are loyal to physical media, corporate giants like Barnes and Noble can offer discounts that make it hard for local stores to compete. Nonetheless, Vinyl Conflict’s Egger sees the internet as good for business.

“We’re able to use the idea of social media to drive customers into our store,” said Egger. “When we get new product, people are able to see on the internet what we have before they come in the store. People are able to see before they come up from Fredericksburg or Virginia Beach. It’s really awesome that people want to take the time to do that.”

Indeed, business-based tourism helps support the city as a whole. And it definitely is a thing.

“We’ve had people here on vacation from New York [because] someone has told them ‘You need to go to Carytown. They have these shops,’” said Brown. “I think a thing that people tend to overlook is that local businesses make a city special. They make it really unique, and people will go to those cities because they’ve heard X amount of shops exist.”

“Essentially, you’re allowing people who are creative to bring a service to the city,” added Egger. “People really like supporting local business. I think the fact that the city isn’t massive keeps it really special. Everyone knows everyone by two degrees.”

This was shown in dramatic fashion in 2018, when national grocery store Publix took over the former Ukrops/Martins grocery store in Carytown’s Richmond Shopping Center. As part of the strip mall’s planned redevelopment, shopping center owner Regency Centers evicted over a dozen local businesses, forcing longtime tenants like the Aquarian Bookstore and Carytown Burgers and Fries to find new homes. The response from city residents was not very happy, by any means.

“We don’t like it when big companies uproot small businesses,” said Brown. Whether the disapproval will carry over to Publix once it opens in 2020 remains to be seen.

“I think it’s going to be a mixed bag,” Brown said. “There will be people who don’t care, there will be new students who won’t even know that was an issue, and then there will be some people who will choose to not shop there.”

Supporting local business doesn’t just help keep people’s dreams alive, it also keeps money in the community and gives our city a more distinct flavor. And nothing can replace the experience of walking into a unique store and finding things you can’t find anywhere else.

“If you don’t support and you just shop online, eventually the small stores will close,” Tefft said. “We can’t pitch battles against Goliath. So instead of fighting the David’s battle, we fight to make our business the best it can be, and live the best life we can live.”

“Keep Richmond Weird,” Brown concluded.

Still need to buy gifts? Shop local with some RVA Mag favorites

Amy David | December 20, 2016

Topics: Candy Valley Cake Company, Lonely Pine Jewelry, Mod & Soul, Mongrel RVA, Original Gravity, Pello Bikes, Plan 9 Music, RVA craft beer, RVA shopping, Square Goods Trade Co., Stichin' in Richmond, Sweetest Stitch, The Nation, Trunk Up, World Of Mirth

So the holidays are right around the corner and most people were smart and got all of their shopping out of the way early, but for some people, (like me) they leave most of their gift getting until th
[Read more…] about Still need to buy gifts? Shop local with some RVA Mag favorites

Punks for Presents celebrates 11 years with four shows & 12 holiday cover bands to benefit Children’s Hospital of Richmond

Amy David | December 8, 2016

Topics: benefit concert, Children's Hospital of RIchmond, holiday, Punks For Presents, RVA metal, rva punk, World Of Mirth

Metalheads dissatisfied with mainstream Christmas carols can get into the holiday spirit this weekend and next at the 11th annual Punks for Presents concert, a series of shows around town featuring holiday-themed cover bands to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Richmond.
[Read more…] about Punks for Presents celebrates 11 years with four shows & 12 holiday cover bands to benefit Children’s Hospital of Richmond

Yelp list shows best places to shop local in RVA

Brad Kutner | December 10, 2015

Topics: Carytown, Deep Groove, Mongrel, shop local, South of the James Market, World Of Mirth, Yelp

Not sure where and how to shop local this year?
[Read more…] about Yelp list shows best places to shop local in RVA

RVA Magazine’s Xmas 2k14 Last Minute Gift Guide!

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 17, 2014

Topics: Addison Handmade & Vintage, christmas shopping guide, For The Love of Chocolate, Helm & Craft, holidays, Mongrel, Need Supply Co., RVA, Short Pump Town Center, The Daily Scrub, Urban Outfitters, Venue Skateboards, With Lavender And Lace, World Of Mirth

It’s December 17, and you have done absolutely zero [insert holiday you hate but celebrate anyway for familial purposes here] shopping. What’s wrong with you, you big dumb idiot? What are you gonna do?
[Read more…] about RVA Magazine’s Xmas 2k14 Last Minute Gift Guide!

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