Last week both the Minnesota Senate and House appointed conference committee members (conferees) to work out the differences in their minimum wage bills. The House bill dramatically jumps Minnesota's minimum wage up by more than 50 percent to $9.50 an hour by August, 2015, and provides for automatic wage increases based on inflation. The Senate version is more moderate, moving minimum wage to $7.75 in that same time period without automatic wage increases.

While the Minnesota Retailers Association has advocated for not going beyond conforming the state minimum wage to the current federal level, retailers now need to focus their attention on pushing legislators to adopt the Senate's $7.75 version or lower. While the difference in the two wage proposals is significant, the House automatic wage indexing provision is of equal or even greater concern for retailers statewide.

Contacting conferees early this week is critical. It is expected that the committee will begin its work soon and could act fast.  In addition to House conferees being comfortable with its $9.50 level with automatic wage increases, the Senate conferees could be inclined to support a higher compromise wage than the final $7.75 in its bill.

Add to this Governor Mark Dayton's public statements that he would prefer to sign $9.50 into law, and it is imperative the retail community join businesses across the state to share with conferees how a high minimum wage would impact the one in five Minnesota jobs connected to retail. Equally important is telling legislators that automatic wage increases stand to impact jobs in our communities. Share that adding jobs is easier when you know the costs, and the uncertainty of future automatic cost increases stifles job growth and creates great challenges to your business model.

Call or e-mail these minimum wage conferees today:

> Rep. Ryan Winkler, tel. (651) 296-7026, rep.ryan.winkler@house.mn  (House minimum wage author)

> Rep. Jeanne Poppe, tel. (651) 296-4193, rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn

> Rep. Jason Metsa, tel. (651) 296-0170, rep.jason.metsa@house.mn

> Sen. Chris Eaton, tel. (651) 296-8869, only accepts e-mail via web form--click here  (Senate minimum wage author)

> Sen. Jeff Hayden, tel. (651) 296-4261, sen.jeff.hayden@senate.mn

> Sen. David Tomassoni, tel. (651) 296-8107, sen.david.tomassoni@senate.mn