Quote of the day
"Minimum-wage increases do not eradicate poverty but do wipe out jobs. They force business owners in the service industry to make very tough decisions, such as reducing payroll, cutting hours and raising prices their customers pay, things they certainly want to avoid."
Paul Stone, chief executive of the North Carolina Restaurant Association, about a proposed minimum wage increase that businesses say will cost $95 million annually in payroll, taxes and workers' comp
Schwarzenegger Signs Law Covering Roofers
Every roofer in California must carry workers compensation insurance under a measure that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Friday. If they don’t comply, the Contractors State License Board can remove the roofing classification from a contractor’s license. Central Valley Business Times
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San Diego County Supe Produces Proof of Farmworker’s Coverage
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Horn produces documents indicating that he has provided workers’ compensation insurance for at least the past five years to his ranch hand. By J. Harry Jones, San Diego Union-Tribune
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A.M. Best Upgrades Louisiana Retailers Mutual
Baton Rouge-based workers’ compensation insurance provider Louisiana Retailers Mutual Insurance Co. is upgraded to an A- rating, denoting excellent financial strength, operating performance and market profile, according to the A.M. Best Co. insurance rating and information firm. WBRZ-TV (Baton Rouge)
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Arkansas to See Moderately Lower Rates by July
The Arkansas Insurance Department says a “moderate” decrease on workers’ compensation rates will take effect July 1. The overall change is expected to be -0.5 to -2.0 percent. By Mark Friedman, Arkansas Business
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Commentary: Toronto Union Off Track on Recommendation
Toronto’s public bus and streetcar drivers are dealing with increasing violence from scofflaws who refuse to pay the fare, and their union is arguing that drivers should not face a pay cut when they go on workers’ compensation after an assault. Nevertheless, the union’s recommendation that drivers abandon their responsibility to supervise the fare box is a bad one. Toronto Star
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North Carolina Business Groups Fight Minimum Wage Increase
A proposed $1 increase in North Carolina’s minimum hourly wage would cost businesses in the state $95 million annually in payroll, taxes and workers’ compensation insurance, according to the Coalition to Preserve North Carolina Jobs, a group of business organizations battling the proposal. Charlotte Business Journal
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