Seattle pizza shop worker Devin Jeran was super pumped about the raise to $15 an hour coming his way, until he found out it was costing him his job.
While Devin does get to have a bigger paycheck until August, that will all end when their shop, Z Pizza, shuts down. It is putting Jeran, along with 11 other co-workers out of work, according to Q13 Fox.
Seattle Pizza Shop Worker Gets Job Killed by $15 Minimum Wage
While everyone around him seemed excited about the minimum wage hike and how life would get better, that was obviously not the case with the shop shutting down.
“If that’s the truth, I don’t think that’s very apparent. People like me are finding themselves in a tougher situation than ever,” he told Q13.
The owner of Z Pizza is Ritu Shah Burnham. Quite simply, she is unable to afford the new hikes to minimum wage while keeping the shop open.
“I’ve let one person go since April 1, I’ve cut hours since April 1, I’ve taken them myself because I don’t pay myself,” Shah Burnham told Q13. “I’ve also raised my prices a little bit, there’s no other way to do it."
"Small businesses" have up to six more years to move all of their employees up to $15 an hour. Somehow Z Pizza is classified as a "large business franchise" despite having only 12 employees. Because of this, they have to raise their employees up to $15 per hour much quicker.
“I know that I would have stayed here if I had 7 years, just like everyone else, if I had an even playing field,” Shah Burnham said. “The discrimination I’m feeling right now against my small business makes me not want to stay and do anything in Seattle.” She went on to say that she is terrified as to what her employees are going to do next.
Q13 Fox reached out to 15 Now Seattle, which is the group that pushed for the higher minimum wage. When reached they did not comment on the pizza shop closing directly and offered no sympathy.
“Restaurants open and close all the time, for various reasons,” Director of 15 Now Seattle said, with no remorse.
Please help us expose the fraudulent promises of $15 an hour minimum wage. These aren't the only jobs that will be sacrificed as a result of it. Like and share this on Facebook to expose what a sham this minimum wage hike is.
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