Itemized surcharges attributed to the cost of the minimum wage are objectionable because paying the minimum wage is a basic cost of doing business, not an extra add-on to be counted separately. If there’s no line item for the electrical bill, no napkin-laundering charge called out, and no special fee levied because a few employees had to work overtime last pay period, then there’s no good reason to tack on an extra 2% and attribute it to the minimum wage.

(And by the way, if a living wage only costs 2% more, why didn’t they just pay better in the first place?)

If you run a business, your prices reflect your total costs, of course — from the cost of rent to the cost of a cleaning service and everything in between — but each cost isn't itemized on the receipt. So when a business adds a surcharge and attributes it to the minimum wage, they're making a political statement that seems to be about publicly begrudging having to pay a higher wage. And it’s probably no coincidence that some of the businesses adding these new fees have also fought against raising labor standards.

Higher wages are incredibly popular in our state and across the country, and we believe these tacked-on fees can’t stand up to public attention. We’ve already seen several prominent companies reverse themselves on these charges when their customers are heard from. And we hope to see more of the same — with your help.