As a small business owner who has operated a childcare facility in Tulsa for years, I know firsthand through the debate around State Question 832 that my business’s long-term success directly ties to valuing my employees’ labor.
The challenge of balancing a budget while ensuring fair compensation for my employees is always at the forefront of my decision-making – and it’s why I know it is absolutely possible to strike a balance between profitability and paying workers a living wage.
Right now, though, there are far too many workers across Oklahoma working for far less than a living wage because our outdated minimum wage has not gone up since 2009.
I’m proud to support State Question 832, which will gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029, with a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages in line with rising costs. As the cost of gas, groceries, and housing keep rising for Oklahoma families, it makes sense that wages should rise as well.
It also makes good business sense because when employees are paid a fair wage, they are more productive, satisfied, and motivated to do their best work. And in an industry like childcare, which is tasked with shaping the growth and development of Oklahoma’s next generation, an employee doing their best work is mission-critical. This gradual increase over time also gives small businesses like mine time to plan and prepare for its implementation without hurting our bottom line.
Childcare workers are doing some of the most important work with Oklahoma’s children, yet, far too often, they are undervalued and undercompensated for the vital work they do. They are the backbone of our early childhood education system, providing a safe and nurturing environment for Oklahoma’s children and laying the foundation for future success in school and in the workplace. However, many of these passionate professionals struggle to make ends meet, and often work two or three jobs to get by.
The passage of SQ 832 is a huge step in the right direction toward ensuring every child care worker in Oklahoma is paid a fair and livable wage and that every small business owner can gradually increase wages and responsibility.
Increasing the minimum wage will not only lift thousands of hard-working Oklahomans out of poverty, but will also pump $1 billion into Oklahoma’s economy annually, according to one recent study. When families have more money in their paychecks, they spend that money in local businesses, fueling growth for businesses on main streets, not only in rural towns, but in suburban and urban centers across our state.
Special interest groups representing giant out-of-state corporations whose executives are paid record salaries off the hard work of Oklahomans are bankrolling the campaign to stop hard-working Oklahomans from getting a raise. They are thinking about themselves, not what is good for our state and putting their personal profits ahead of people, plain and simple. They certainly aren’t thinking about the tens of thousands of Oklahoma workers across the state and right here in Tulsa, who are expected to see more money in their paychecks if State Question 832 passes.
Sometimes progress can be uncomfortable for those at the top. However, our state ranks among the top 10 for the number of low-wage workers, and after nearly 20 years without an increase to our state’s minimum wage, it’s time for us to come together to do right by these hard-working Oklahomans.
I encourage voters to listen to the voices of small business owners like myself who understand the benefits of investing in our workforce. Let us come together to build a brighter future for Oklahoma, where hard work pays enough to live on and where we hold strong to our values as Oklahomans who believe labor deserves fair compensation.
