What are you doing Monday that’s more important than saving the Restaurant Industry as you know it?

On Monday, April 23^rd at 10:00 AM, The Maine Legislature’s Standing Committee on Labor will hear several bills that could make it difficult, if not impossible, for you to keep your restaurant open.

Make your voice heard... Only restaurateurs like you can make the Legislature understand that these bills will cause irreparable harm to Maine restaurants.

LD 1697 An Act To Ensure Fair Wages

Begs the question:  Fair wages for whom?

This bill would:

·         Raise Minimum Wage to $7.70 in 2008; $8.40 in 2009

·         Mandate increases in minimum wage every year, based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index

·         Eliminate the overtime exemption for small restaurants and hotels/inns

·         Reduce and freeze the tip credit to $3.00, resulting in an immediate raise for tipped employees, increasing their wage to $5.40 per hour in 2009

For 10 tipped employees working an average of 25 hours a week, your cost of
labor would increase more than $28,000 per year.

We’ve attached a Wage Increase Calculator for you to determine exactly what this increase would do to your restaurant. 

The Labor Committee needs to hear from YOU what this legislation would do to your restaurant.
Would it be necessary to:

·         Raise your prices?  How much?  What would the impact be on your customers?

·         Lay off employees? How many?

·         Reduce the number of hours available for your employees to work?

·         Cut or eliminate raises to hourly and salaried employees to cover the cost?

·         Stop hiring minors or those inexperienced in your industry due to the cost of wages?

·         Close your restaurant because you could no longer afford to keep it open?

Other considerations:

·         What do your tipped employees currently earn?

·         What do they earn in comparison to your hourly and salaried employees?

Several other bills will also be heard that impact the industry:

LD 1777 An Act for Fair Treatment of Workers – Would mandate that you can only terminate an employee for misconduct.  Maine would no longer be an Employment-at-will state.

LD 1809 An Act to Base Minimum Wage Increases on the Consumer Price Index
LD 1653 An Act to Prevent Real Minimum Wages From Falling

Both bills would automatically raise the minimum wage each year, based on various Consumer Price Indexes

LD 1832 An Act To Amend the Unemployment Compensation Law – Would give a bonus to unemployed workers who find a new job within a specified time.

The more restaurateurs who attend the hearing on Monday, the more likely we are to prevail.  Come to Augusta and make your voice heard.  If you are giving testimony and would like copies to give to the committee, bring it with you and we will copy it for you.

If you are uncomfortable testifying, just your presence at the hearing will help make a difference.  If you wish, you may submit testimony in writing.

If you want to submit testimony, but are unable to be here, please forward your testimony to us.  Be sure that it clearly identifies your restaurant.  We’ll submit it to the committee for you.

We will gather at the Maine Restaurant Association offices, 5 Wade Street, Augusta at 9:00 AM and going to the hearing from here. 

Please call us at 207-623-2178 if you plan to attend or need more information.

If you are unable to be here Monday, but would like to make your opinion heard and assist us in this important fight, please call Susan at 207-623-2178 or email [email protected].  We’ll let you know how you can help!