MN nonprofits have grace period when it comes to implementing state's new, higher minimum wage; editorial argues exemption hurts their ability to compete.
"[Sen. John Pederson] is chief author of a bipartisan bill that would allow tax-exempt nonprofit organizations to pay $6.15 an hour beginning Aug. 1. The idea is to shield nonprofits from a series of increases to minimum wage, which, by 2016, will require large employers to pay $9.50 per hour and small employers to pay $7.75 per hour. While Pederson's effort certainly is well-intended, there are too many other factors weighing against this proposal. Most of all...requiring a lower wage poses several downsides to the nonprofit sector. It certainly reinforces perceptions that nonprofit jobs are not worth as much as other employment sectors, which could do significant damage to efforts to convince people to pursue nonprofit employment." -- the St. Cloud [MN] Times
