Leaked documents show strong business support for raising the minimum wage
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/04/leaked-documents-show-strong-business-support-for-raising-the-minimum-wage/
Whenever minimum wage increases are proposed on the state or federal level, business groups tend to fight them tooth and nail. But actual opposition may not be as united as the groups' rhetoric might make it appear, according to internal research conducted by a leading consultant for state chambers of commerce.
The survey of 1,000 business executives across the country was conducted by LuntzGlobal, the firm run by Republican pollster Frank Luntz, and obtained by a liberal watchdog group called the Center for Media and Democracy. (The slide deck is here, and the full questionnaire is here.) Among the most interesting findings: 80 percent of respondents said they supported raising their state's minimum wage, while only eight percent opposed it.
"Thats where its undeniable that they support the increase, LuntzGlobal managing director David Merritt told state chamber executives in a webinar describing the results, noting that it squares with other polling theyve done. And this is universal. If youre fighting against a minimum wage increase, youre fighting an uphill battle, because most Americans, even most Republicans, are okay with raising the minimum wage.
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Sixty-three percent of respondents said they belong to a chamber of commerce, whether on the local, state, or federal level suggesting that the groups' public statements might be out of step with their members' beliefs. The materials shed light on how some business trade associations operate, and why theyve continued to oppose minimum wage increases even as the rest of the public thaws towards them.