Movie Theaters Fear Hike in Minimum Wage: ‘That Would Kill Us’
Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterBattered by the pandemic and the collapse of exhibition windows, the movie theater industry now has one more thing to worry about: a hike in the minimum wage.The industry relies heavily on part-time workers who make at or near the local minimum rate. Cinema operators say that an increase to $15 an hour nationwide — which Democrats in Congress are pushing for — would make it much harder to turn a profit.“That would kill us,” said Byron Berkley, owner of Foothills Entertainment in Kilgore, Tex., where workers make $8 an hour.