Obama Heads to Costco to Argue for Minimum Wage Increase

Does he realize the giant stands to benefit as the increase hurts smaller competitors?

President Barack Obama has found a Northwest ally in his call to reduce income inequality: warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale.

On Wednesday, in the wake of his State of the Union address calling for lifting the minimum wage for working Americans, the president chose to speak at a Costco in Maryland.

The Issaquah-based company, he said, is proof that higher wages are "a smart way to boost productivity and to reduce turnover."

Chief executive Craig Jelinek, said the president, understands the way of business pioneered by Ford Motor founder Henry Ford in the early 20th century when the car industry tycoon chose to pay its workers a fair salary.