>> restaurant owner john platt admits he is conflicted and frustrated. he has 20 regular employees, most making less than $15. with 30 hours or more, platt helps with health insurance, something he does because he wants to, not because he has to. he's for the broader concept of better pay for low end wage earners. in this business the maths of 60% wage hike does not work. >> whatever people's perceptions of wealthy business owners, i'm not that guy. i don't have a big empire. how do i absorb it? >> we raise prices. i'm not ready to go to the staff and say, "sorry, your full-time job is a part-time job", it's not just the for-profit world feeling the pressure. nonprofit social services organizations faces similar choices. >> childcare centres and low income communities will have to close because they can't raise rates to the people they are supporting. >> taxpayers funds will have to make up the surplus. without financial support a $15 wage could mean service cuts at foodbangs, shelters, mental health programs and more. >> there'll be a ripple affect feat

>> restaurant owner john platt admit he is conflicted and frustrated from this. he has 20 regular employees most making less than $15 an hour. and wait staff makes seattle's minimum wage. platt provides health insurance, something he says he wants to, not because he has to. he says in this business, the math of a nearly 60% minimum wage like just doesn't work. >> whatever people's perception of, you know, wealthy business owners, i'm not that guy. i'm not -- i don't have some big empire that can just absorb this expense. so how do i absorb it? we raise prices. i'm not ready to go to my staff and say, sorry, your full time job is now a part time job. >> it's not just a for-profit world feeling the pressure. nonprofit social service organizations would face similar choices. >> childcare centers in very low income communities would have to close because they also can't raise their rates to the very people they are trying to support. >> steve dashiel said private taxpayers would have to make up the multimillion dollar difference. without government and private sector

. >> john platt and robert beadle.commercial fishermen. 25 years ago, michelle hahn o'leary was, too. but all that changed when the exxon valdez ran aground. >> to see it go from this exuberant, i mean, it's just exuberant prince william sound in the springtime, to see it go from that to dead quiet. dead quiet, no sound. except the helicopter flying overhead. >> this pool of black, it's just black, and it just is surging up and down this rock face. it really sunk in, oh, we're in trouble. >> the spill was to large, it would take weeks for exxon to get cleanup equipment in place. meanwhile -- >> you still don't have anything to clean it up with. >> among fishermen, mounting anger. >> we need some more pressure from the state to get exxon to do what has to be done. >> when exxon's cleanup began, it eventually hired the fishing fleet, the very men and women whose livelihoods were on the line. exxon ultimately spent more than $2 billion on the cleanup. >> the year of the oil spill, i mean, it was a bonanza. money was getti

. >> john platt favours a slow approach, raises faced in over several years to give businesses like his time to adjust. he'd like more talk and less ye yelling and acknowledgement that higher prices could be around the corner. >> it's the business is making the money, let's make them play. i feel like we are all in it together. if we all pay more, awesome. we'll all have to pay. everything we buy will cost more money. >> an easy issue for slogan earring. if it happens abruptly a lot of people will have to make difficult choices. the people that did the survey says they totally support the concept of a $15 minimum wage for lower end workers. but the non-profits can't afford to pay it and will have to laypeople off. >> i asked you about seattle and other issues. why is this sit -- city out in front of the minimum wage. >> there's a huge organised labour-backed push in seattle and the area. they were instrumental, the seiu in the push to raise the wages south of seattle, targetting those in that city. it's been brought north to seattle in the person of the socialist city council person, wh

. >> back at the restaurant john platt favours a slow approach, possibly raises phased in over several years to give businesses like his time to adapt. he would like more talk, less yelling and an acknowledgment that higher price are are around the corner. the businesses are making the money, let's make them pay. >> i feel like we are all in it together. if we try to pay more, awesome. let's all understand we are all going to have to pay more. everything we buy will cost more. . >>> the federal minimum wage has not increased since reaching $7.25 in 2009. >>> the good and the bad of a bitter cold winter. scientists saying the great lakes will benefit from being frozen over. it's not the case for businesses that rely on the waters. >> this time of the year normally we are handling upwards of a million pounds of fish a week. >>> fresh water sea food companies frozen out. the harsh winter leaving many struggling to stay afloat. >> how do you say..."get out the way"? >> shoro >> can this brittish man find common ground with his local host? >> "must really take it out of mr. loteef"... >> to