ALBANY, N.Y. - This week, Fair Elections for New York blasted the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) and other groups for contributing to campaigns in the state. NYACS President Jim Calvin responded with the following statement:
"Sounds like we're on Big Labor's hit list for daring to express concern about the impact of a minimum wage increase on small businesses. Our campaign contributions are a matter of public record.
"Since the minimum wage bill was introduced earlier this year, our share of the purported 'massive influence of CEO campaign cash?? has been $12,650 ?" the equivalent of $8 per NYACS member store, and probably less than organized labor spends on TV and radio commercials in a single day.
"This $12,650 has been contributed by Convenience PAC, the political action committee of the New York Association of Convenience Stores, to both Democratic and Republican members of both the Senate and the Assembly. ??
"NYACS does not tell its member companies whether to contribute to campaigns, how much to give, or where to direction contributions. To presume that all those members who chose to contribute to a candidate over the past three years cared about the minimum wage issue is a reach. ??
"New contracts negotiated with unions representing state employees call for zero general pay increases in Years 1, 2 and 3. If the State of New York can't afford to give its workers any raises for the next three years, what makes anyone think small businesses can afford to give their hourly workforce a 17 percent raise this year alone?
"As New York struggles to emerge from recession, organized labor is advocating across-the-board hourly wage inflation of 17%, plus proportionate increases in the employer??s costs for payroll taxes, workers comp, federal and state unemployment insurance, etc.
"Yet between declining motor fuel demand, skyrocketing credit card swipe fee expenses, and the loss of tobacco customers to state-induced tax evasion, the convenience store industry's overall sales are flat or declining in New York. Thus, to absorb such an increase in payroll expense, our members would have two options, neither of which is desirable for their workers, their businesses, or the economy:
- Raise prices proportionately, sparking inflation, which would compound New York State's economic troubles and erase the increased buying power of lower-wage recipients; or
- Reduce staff and/or benefits, resulting in fewer job opportunities and less coverage for those New Yorkers that the higher wage is ostensibly designed to help.