By Courtney Cole, WBZ-TV
BOSTON - For thousands of workers in Massachusetts, the new year means more money. On January 1, 2023, the minimum wage increased to $15 an hour.
In 2018, Governor Baker signed a law, green lighting the yearly, minimum wage increase. The increase to $15, is the final pay bump outlined in the deal. Some argue the increase is not enough because of cost of living and inflation.
"Regulars" could be seen coming in-and-out of the red door of Flat Black on Monday afternoon.
"You're the morning bartender. You're the first guy that someone's going to talk to, because they need their coffee in the morning. It's awesome," said David House, Jr.
Whether it's a flat white or drip by the cup--House, Jr. said the coffee at Flat Black keeps customers coming back.
"We're a small, local coffee shop in Dorchester, we've been here for 20 years," House told WBZ.
With two decades of business and counting, they're quite familiar with the concerns around minimum wage.
"If minimum wage goes up, we have to pay people more to work for us. So, it can be difficult --to the small business-- to watch the profit that comes in, go back out. But it's also a needed raise," said House.
One, that he told WBZ's Courtney Cole, is necessary to live in a big city like Boston.
"You need to have a minimum wage that reflects things like rent and food costs," House told WBZ.
"The solution is really to move toward a living wage," said Lewis Finfer, a community organizer in Massachusetts for the...
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