web1_Marshalonis-2c-Monica.jpg

Borton-Lawson promotes employees in Wilkes-Barre office

web1_TTLg031816gfwc.mcandrew.jpg

GFWC Women’s Club awards scholarship to Conlan McAndrew

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Michael Clemente manages a small business and Thursday, with Gov. Tom Wolf at his side, he said Pennsylvania needs a raise.</p><p>Clemente, regional director for Simon Arias Agencies&#8217; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton office in the Cross Creek Pointe complex on Route 315, said the current state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is not enough.</p><p>&#8220;Raising the minimum wage is good for business and the economy,&#8221; Clemente said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s not forget that workers are also customers. More money in the pockets of over 1 million workers will translate into more sales at businesses across the state, ours included.&#8221;</p><p>Earlier this month, as part of his &#8220;Jobs That Pay&#8221; initiative, Wolf signed an executive order that ensures employees under the governor&#8217;s jurisdiction will be paid no less than $10.15 an hour. On Thursday, Wolf called upon Pennsylvania legislators to pass a minimum wage increase for all Pennsylvania workers.</p><p>Wolf said, as a former businessman, he found that a higher wage created more employee loyalty and higher morale in the workplace.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s good business to have a sustainable wage,&#8221; Wolf said. &#8220;I urge the legislature to raise the minimum wage. Pennsylvania has one of the lowest in the U.S.&#8221;</p><p>Wolf added that paying a fair wage is sound principle from a moral point of view and lowers turnover while reducing the cost to train new employees.</p><p><strong>State GOP responds</strong></p><p>In an email from Pennsylvania Republican Party Deputy Communications Director Paul Engelkemier, the GOP said, &#8220;Wolf is bringing his taxpayer-funded political tour to Wilkes-Barre, pushing his latest delusional budget that will take more money out of the pockets of Pennsylvanians.&#8221;</p><p>Engelkemier added, &#8220;Over the past eight months, Gov. Wolf has blocked job training programs to push for higher taxes on these hard-working Pennsylvanians. During the last year, Tom Wolf has endangered job training programs by cutting the entire $10.5 million budget for job training programs, and preventing hard -working Pennsylvanians from getting the training they require to get family-sustaining jobs.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Dem legislators comment</strong></p><p>State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and Rep. Mike Carroll, D- Avoca, attended the news conference with Wolf. Both favor raising the minimum wage.</p><p>Pashinski said some business people are concerned the minimum wage would be significant;y increased overnight, rather than phased in over a few years.</p><p>&#8220;If you show respect for employees and pay them better, you will see a better work ethic,&#8221; Pashinski said.</p><p>Asked what the push-back has been in Harrisburg, Pashinski said, &#8220;So far everything we have tried to do down there has been a fight. But the time has come for increasing the minimum wage. The people deserve it.&#8221;</p><p>Carroll said some of the objection to the hike concerns &#8220;anecdotal evidence&#8221; that shows it would harm the state&#8217;s economy. Carroll said the concern is misplaced.</p><p>&#8220;Increasing the minimum wage would be a benefit to those making under $10.15 per hour and it would benefit the community as a whole,&#8221; Carroll said.</p><p>Wolf said the increase makes good economic sense and is &#8220;long overdue.&#8221;</p><p>Clemente said raising the minimum wage would lift consumer buying power and help insure a more sustainable economy. His company&#8217;s starting wage is $15 per hour.</p><p>&#8220;Like our agency, most small business owners already pay above the minimum wage and are reaping the benefits of lower employee turnover, increased productivity, better employee performance and a higher level of customer satisfaction,&#8221; Clemente said.</p><p>Clemente&#8217;s boss is Simon Arias, a Pennsylvania general agent for American Income Life, and owner of the Arias Agencies. Arias supports the Pennsylvania Business for a Fair Minimum Wage statement supporting an increase in the minimum wag, Clemente said.</p><p>Simon Arias Agencies represents American Income Life Insurance company products and has 10 locations throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Florida.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL040116GovWolf.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael Clemente, managing director of Simon Arias Agencies/American Income Life Insurance Company on Route 315 in Wilkes-Barre, leads Gov. Tom Wolf and other area legislators on a tour of the insurance company&#8217;s offices Thursday morning. The governor called upon legislators to pass a minimum wage increase for all Pennsylvania workers. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL040116GovWolf.jpg</photo0><caption0>Michael Clemente, managing director of Simon Arias Agencies/American Income Life Insurance Company on Route 315 in Wilkes-Barre, leads Gov. Tom Wolf and other area legislators on a tour of the insurance company&#8217;s offices Thursday morning. The governor called upon legislators to pass a minimum wage increase for all Pennsylvania workers. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wolf: Higher minimum wage good for business, economy