Sartell Business Owner Not Happy About The State Minimum Wage Increase [AUDIO]

SARTELL - Employers are getting ready to give some of their staff raises. Tomorrow (Friday) the state's minimum wage goes up to $8 an hour, for businesses with gross annual sales over $500,000.

Phyllis Gruby owns the A & W Restaurant in Sartell. She says their starting wage has been $7.25 an hour - the federal minimum wage.

She says the minimum wage increase isn't justified for most of her staff.

She says most of her staff aren't relying on a paycheck to pay their bills.

Gruby says her longtime employees and managers are already making well above the minimum wage. She says, "If people have worked a long time at a store, then the employer should step up and give them more than minimum wage. I understand the argument, but it can't be a one size fits all. It seems as though there's enough attacks on small businesses today anyway, quit doing it or they won't be around".

She says they're expecting to raise prices to help offset the higher wages...