No longer do operators opposed to minimum wage hikes have to draft a letter to their representative from scratch—there’s an app for that. A new mobile app, dubbed Wage Engage, is taking lobbying high-tech, allowing users to find their respective lawmakers and send a flurry of letters in a few clicks.
Created by conservative think tank Employment Policies Institute, Wage Engage is directly aimed at small business owners. But EPI isn’t alone in its attempt to keep restaurateurs and other businesses apprised of minimum wage happenings and how the increases would impact operations. Both the National Restaurant Association and the International Franchise Association will inform their members—more than 100,000 businesses—of the app.
In addition to the legislator outreach portion, EPI—founded by former lobbyist Richard Berman—is using the app as a news tool that will push text messages to users about new or in-the-works wage proposals in their area. The app currently includes active minimum wage bills in five states, as well as a bill that would increase the national pay floor. Down the road, it may include proposals broken down to the city level.
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