CARLISLE, PA - Two of Ahold’s brands, Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets, have announced that they are raising their minimum wage threshold to nine dollars per hour as of June 7th this year.
According to a press release, the decision stems from the company’s commitment to provide competitive wages.
“Our associates are the foundation of our success, and we have always believed in paying competitive wages to attract the best talent,” Tom Lenkevich, Giant/Martin’s President, said in the release. “We believe that this is the right thing to do. Our goal is to continue to be an employer of choice by offering a competitive total compensation package, a work environment based upon respect, an emphasis on personal excellence and opportunities for career advancement.”
While about two-thirds of the company’s 33,000 associates currently make more than nine dollars an hour, Giant/Martin’s estimate about 10,000 part-time associates will be impacted by the raise.
This announcement follows both Wal-Mart and Target having announced similar ramifications to up their starting wages and raising competitive market expectations, leaving us to wonder, “Who’ll be next?”
