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University Hill Businesses Look to Expand With New Minimum Wage Hike University Hill Business Look to Expand With New Minimum Wage Hike

By Colin Bock

Pizza Boxes at Varsity
© 2021 Colin Bock

(ANC: MEANWHILE ON UNIVERSITY HILL, TWO CENTRAL NEW YORK STAPLES ARE ADJUSTING TO CHANGES IN MINIMUM WAGE.)

70 CENTS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT FOR CENTRAL NEW YORKERS, IT SIGNIFIES A MOVE TOWARD A MORE LIVABLE WAGE.
WORKERS WHO NOW EARN TWELVE-FIFTY AN HOUR WILL EARN THIRTEEN-TWENTY AN HOUR STARTING DECEMBER.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, VARSITY LAID OFF ALL WORKERS BECAUSE OF COVID.
NOW, EMPLOYEE ERIC OCKERT HOPES INCREASED WAGES BRING THEM ALL BACK.

(“THE REAL PROBLEM WE’VE HAD IS GETTING PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO WORK. WITH THE FEDERAL STIMULUS, PEOPLE WERE JUST AS HAPPY TO COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT AND GET 300-DOLLARS A WEEK FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. FRANKLY, THEY WERE MAKING MORE MONEY THAN WE COULD AFFORD TO PAY THEM”)

A THIRD OF VARSITY STAFF MAKES TWELVE-FIFTY AN HOUR, MEANING HALF OF THEIR INCOME GOES TOWARD RENT.
VARSITY RAISES THE MINIMUM SALARY FOR EMPLOYEES WITH A LONG HISTORY WITH THE COMPANY.
STILL, OCKERT SAYS A 70-CENT INCREASE WAS A LONG-TIME COMING, AND A WELL-DESERVED BOOST FOR HIS CO-WORKERS.

(“THE MINIMUM WAGE NEEDS TO INCREASE ALONG WITH THE COST OF LIVING. IF PRICES GO UP, WAGES NEED TO KEEP PACE WITH THAT”)

MEANWHILE, WINNIE’S SOUL DELICIOUS OPENED AND MADE PROFIT DESPITE BEING UNDERSTAFFED.
WITH A MINIMUM WAGE HIKE ON THE HORIZON, COOK JOY TILLIE SAYS HER STAFF FEELS REWARDED, AND LOOKS FORWARD TO FURTHER GROWTH.

(“OUR STAFF IS POWERFUL. NOBODY WANTS TO GO NOWHERE. IT’S GOOD FOR BUSINESS”)

BOTH COMPANIES PREDICT MORE HIRINGS IN 2022.

“COLIN BOCK… N-C-C News”

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Minimum wage in Central New York will rise from $12.50/hr. to $13.20/hr. effective December 31. The end goal, per ny.gov, is for New York state to operate with a $15/hr. state-wide minimum wage.

The fact remains, rent in Syracuse is expensive. To start, a minimum wage employee working 40 hours per week would make exactly $2,000. On average, apartments within city limits lease for around $1,000 per month. Right away, half of what employees at Varsity Pizza and Winnie’s Soul Delicious evaporate into rent payment. From a moral perspective, Varsity Pizza employee Eric Ockert believes this wage hike is long overdue.

OCKERT: “The minimum wage needs to increase along with the cost of living. If prices go up, wages need to keep pace with that.”

In the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ockert says Varsity had to part ways with its entire workforce. While unemployed, former employees cashed unemployment benefits— benefits worth close to $300 in value. To Ockert, this pattern is not one to overlook.

OCKERT: “The real problem we’ve had is getting people to come back to work. With the federal stimulus, people were just as happy to collect unemployment and get $300 per week from the Federal Government. Frankly, they were making more money than we could afford to pay them.”

Employees also cashed thousand-dollar stimulus checks, making it mathematically favorable to remain unemployed. To counter this problem, Ockert says Varsity inflated its food and drink policies.

Winnie’s Soul Delicious, located on the same block, did not encounter the same problems.

In its first nine months of operation, Marshall Street’s newest hit exceeded expected profits during this time period, despite remaining understaffed. Seasoned veteran cook Joy Tillie says Winnie’s Soul Delicious earned its profits.

TILLIE: “When we first opened, kids lined up around the corner to eat here. We’re very popular. The next step would be to grow and add more staff.”

This next step, according to Tillie, should be no problem. Winnie’s Soul Delicious is family-owned and prides itself on its tight-knit group of employees. Tillie says when her paycheck increases, she’ll feel rewarded for her efforts.

TILLIE: “Our staff is powerful. Nobody wants to go nowhere. [Minimum wage hikes] are good for business.”

Both restaurants cite December’s minimum wage hike as reason for optimism that they will return to full employment. Until then, be sure to try the Fried Okra at Winnie’s while it is fresh.

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