Publix- and Disney-Backed Coalition Sues to Stop Miami Beach From Raising Minimum Wage

In the Sunshine State, Publix can basically do no wrong. The Lakeland company runs cloying holiday ads about the importance of family and harps on the idea that shopping at its stores is "a pleasure."

But behind the scenes, the supermarket chain functions like any other corporate giant. This year, its heiress, Carol Jenkins Barnett, donated more than $800,000 to prevent Florida from legalizing medical marijuana for people with illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer's, in a move critics say would protect her firm's pharmacy business from competition.

And now Publix is one of more than 35 businesses whose execs make up a coalition suing Miami Beach to stop the city from raising its minimum wage to $13.31 an hour. Last Wednesday, three of the state's largest trade groups — the Florida Retail Federation, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, and Florida Chamber of Commerce — filed that lawsuit.

The Florida Retail Federation might not be a household name in the state, but the group is full of representatives from some of the nation's largest corporate titans, including Publix and the Walt Disney Company.

Read more: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/publix-and-disney-backed-coalition-sues-to-stop-miami-beach-from-raising-minimum-wage-9002559