Statement from the IFA on Chicago Minimum Wage Working Group™s Recommendation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:

Matthew Haller, 202-662-0770

Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766

mhaller@franchise.org

jweisbord@franchise.org


STATEMENT FROM THE IFA ON CHICAGO MINIMUM WAGE WORKING GROUP’S RECOMMENDATION


WASHINGTON, July 8, 2014 —International Franchise Association President & CEO Steve Caldeira, CFE, released the statement below following Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Task Force recommendations on raising the minimum wage in Chicago.


“We are pleased and truly grateful the Task Force recommended to Mayor Emanuel that any wage ordinance should provide equal treatment to all businesses and not pick winners and losers among business models. From day one, we asked the Task Force to treat all small businesses in Chicago, including the 1,200 franchisees that employ 44,000 employees, as the small businesses that they are, and not discriminate in the form of an accelerated adoption of a wage increase simply because they operate under the name of a well-known brand.


“However, we do share the concerns of the overall business community in Illinois about the very progressive nature of the recommendations, which will undoubtedly result in lost jobs for employees and higher prices for consumers. The franchise industry has outpaced growth of the overall U.S. economy for the last five years, and that’s because we create much-needed entry-level jobs, career advancement opportunities and small business ownership opportunities that fuel the American Dream. Moving forward, we will work with the Mayor and the City Council as the legislative process continues to ensure equitable treatment for franchisees under any potential wage increase, and to mitigate its impact for employers, employees and consumers.”


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About the International Franchise Association

The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.


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