“So we’re saying that Maine now has 100% employment? No full time welfare recipients laying about? How about able bodied homeless? High school grads? Moms needing part time work? Elderly?”
If a company facing a full employment situation wants to hire, then it has to bump up wages or benefits to do so. The companies in question are trying to hold the line on costs. I can tell you there is a point in the cost equation where even I, now retired, would go back to work. I can’t blame the companies for wanting to make more profit and hold down costs. However, bringing in foreign cheap labor that lives up to six to a room is not the answer as far as me as a citizen is concerned. Hold the line, Trump!
I say any company that wants to import labor needs to be held accountable to the American Public to make sure that these imported workers are able to live off what the Company wants to pay.
It’s not my responsibility to pay for food, healthcare, education et al for their family just because Acme Trinket Company needs 1,000 cheap labor somalians to count and box trinkets.
If they Company can’t do that, they need to either raise their prices, stop selling trinkets or find AMERICAN labor pool to hire from.
Same for Agricorps and Tourism Industries.
So, a minimum wage law only applies to citizens?