Being part of a 2012 Black voting bloc would be a bold move to put balance back in the American political landscape leading up to the presidential election.

Filene's Basement was founded in Boston in 1909 by Edward A. Filene as a way to sell off excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs.

Rep. Alicia Reece, who is on the Small Business and Economic Development Committee.

Labor advocates paint a different picture. “Employers are still not willing to pay what’s required,” says Eisenbrey. “It’s a shortage only at the rate that employers want to pay.”

Executives will discuss third-quarter results on a conference call with analysts Friday morning. In the past two quarters, menu prices have been a large part of the conversation.