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Minimum wage increase for low wage workers.

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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
Low wage workers will participate in a nationwide strike on April 15, and they'll be asking Americans to support their efforts to push Congress to increase the federal minimum wage to $15.

According to the organizing group, the Fight for 15, the strike will include fast food employees, retail employees, child care workers, home care providers, and airport workers. Notably, the strike is expected to include Wal-Mart workers in addition to McDonald's workers, who helped drive a similar strike of fast food employees last December. There will be rallies in multiple U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and the organizers expect as many as 60,000 people to participate in 200 locations. They are also pushing the movement beyond U.S. borders and confirmed that there will be action from workers in Italy.

Momentum is growing to increase wages.

Retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Target have announced increases in their companies' minimum wage, although the new $10 minimums are well short of $15 per hour. Other retailers, such as the Container Store and Costco, have stood out by paying workers well above minimum wage and even providing benefits in some cases.

At McDonald's, the average worker makes just $9 per hour, and more than half of McDonald's workers receive some kind of government assistance.

"It's very hard to live on this salary," said McDonald's worker Jemere Calhoun, 30, in an interview with ATTN: in December. "You pretty much know that you start in the red. As soon as I get my check, I already know that it's not enough. So I have to take care of what's the most pressing matter at that time and then think of ways to fill that financial void."

So far, though, McDonald's has not indicated any willingness to increase pay.

“These events have not been ‘strikes,’ but organized rallies designed to garner media attention for which demonstrators are transported to various locations,” Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem, a McDonald’s spokeswoman, told the New York Times. “Historically, very few McDonald’s employees have participated in these organized events.”

...
http://www.attn.com/stories/1342/fight-15-strike

What do you think NS?
Apr 15 2015 10:21PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
Since when is McDonalds considered a career and/or worthy of $15 an hour??

I've been paying my way through life since i was 18. I've worked plenty of crap jobs making 10 bucks an hour, but thats exactly what they were, crap. But guess what. I worked hard, and years later, have moved up in my career. Its the choices you make that put you where you are. Dont expect everything to be handed to you.
Apr 15 2015 10:28PM
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sbarlett
Posts: 882 - Karma: 4,255
Think about it: if you increase minimum wage, an employer is just going to hire less workers to make up for the money that he has to pay those that he does employ. I believe an increase in the minimum wage will cost a lot of people jobs.

Not to mention that working at McDonald's is just straight up not worth $15 an hour...
Apr 15 2015 10:29PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
.complexThink about it: if you increase minimum wage, an employer is just going to hire less workers to make up for the money that he has to pay those that he does employ. I believe an increase in the minimum wage will cost a lot of people jobs.

Not to mention that working at McDonald's is just straight up not worth $15 an hour...



the loss of jobs is one thing, (with the wage increase AND healthcare for full time employees, small businesses are screwed) but it will just drive up the cost of living for EVERYTHING, so then we're right back where we started.
Apr 15 2015 10:31PM
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270on420out
Posts: 7510 - Karma: 51,088
Well I guess Im gonna be out of a job soon
Apr 15 2015 10:35PM
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TheButterHashira
Posts: 9691 - Karma: 1,702
I am interviewing for a position that is $15/hr tomorrow. I have a chemistry degree. Fuck this movement or whatever it is.
Apr 15 2015 10:41PM
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TheButterHashira
Posts: 9691 - Karma: 1,702
I think that $7.25 an hour is bullshit too, but asking for 15/hr is just stupid. The R&D and subsequent manufacturing of robots to do all those shitty jobs will be cheaper than paying them that much.
Apr 15 2015 10:43PM
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SammyDubz
Posts: 2168 - Karma: 7,222
It's kind of sad that if this actually happens, these workers will be making more than some of the men and women in the US military, who put their lives on the line everyday....
Apr 15 2015 10:50PM
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caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
$15 an hour is unreasonable for low level jobs, and you don't need that much to get by. When I was ski bumming I made $8.50 and was doing fine. $9 or maybe $10 seems much more reasonable, but even living off of $8 isn't impossible, you just have to realize that you're not going to have an very comfortable life if you work at McDonalds because you work at fucking McDonalds. If you're trying to raise a family off a minimum wage job, what the fuck are you doing? I mean seriously, come on.

Speaking of McDonalds and other fast food restaurants, I don't see how people can really demonize them for keeping wages low, it's essential to the food service business model. Food service is a low margin business, and labor is a large cost to them. Labor at the McD's I worked at in college hovered around 25%. Double the minimum wage and now labor is 50%. Now you have an unprofitable restaurant.
Apr 15 2015 10:58PM
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caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
sammydubs20It's kind of sad that if this actually happens, these workers will be making more than some of the men and women in the US military, who put their lives on the line everyday....


Considering how much our government loves throwing money at the military, I wish more of that money landed in soldiers' pockets rather than defense contractors' pockets.
Apr 15 2015 11:00PM
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Chubz.
Posts: 13918 - Karma: 25,661
Im finna ball out at wegmans if this shit gets passed.
Apr 15 2015 11:01PM
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J-dollo
Posts: 618 - Karma: 285
I lIve in Seattle where this all started and it's just an all around terrible idea. The cost of living has already started to increase dramatically. I don't think people think about inflation and how it's just gonna make everything cost way more
Apr 15 2015 11:02PM
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corona
Posts: 12801 - Karma: 32,779
15/hour minimum would pretty much ruin 'Murca
Apr 15 2015 11:02PM
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dingus
Posts: 1328 - Karma: 7,877
Lets hope the cost of living does not go up a ton
Apr 15 2015 11:03PM
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
fuck people who live beyond their means and "can't get by" on their jobs at mcdonalds. $15 is ridiculous
Apr 15 2015 11:10PM
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
Make those shit jobs pay 15 an hr? People who are much more qualified then the ones currently working them will start applying and replace the current employees. The more qualified ones will do a better job, thus deserving the higher salary. It will all work out, dont worry. Eventually you will get your McDonald's orders right the first time.
Apr 15 2015 11:15PM
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Spagett+
Posts: 3499 - Karma: 14,884
LOL the fact that the workers think that $15 an hour is even possible just shows how fucking dumb they are.
Apr 15 2015 11:19PM
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That_One_Dude
Posts: 1050 - Karma: 760
The cost of living and the prices of just about everything are proportional to the minimum wage. What raising the wage to $15 will do is destroy the middle class, make the upper class more rich, and not even help the lower class because the price of everything else will need to go up to make up for it.

All of that "extra" wage money has to come from somewhere. This is a horrible idea and it will be very bad if it is passed. I agree that the cost of living is too high, especially for someone working minimum wage and maybe it should be increased a little but not to $15. Plenty of job openings out there besides McDonalds....just saying.

TL/DR: It's a horrible idea
Apr 15 2015 11:19PM
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.CJ.
Posts: 1509 - Karma: 3,669
dingusLets hope the cost of living does not go up a ton

Sadly it will.
Apr 15 2015 11:23PM
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scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
I've been at my current place of employment for 4 years, got hired out of college at 15.75 an hour........the world has failed if Mc ds workers and Walmart greeters minimum wage is 15 an hour.
Apr 15 2015 11:28PM
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crotchvent
Posts: 1527 - Karma: 2,184
Say goodbye to the dollar menu and hello to the two dollar menu.
Apr 15 2015 11:38PM
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dingus
Posts: 1328 - Karma: 7,877
.CJ.Sadly it will.

Well then lets hope McDees keeps the dollar menu up
Apr 15 2015 11:39PM
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
I make $7.50 per hour. I work way harder at a family resteraunt than fastfood workers. I'm not complaining because I'm only in high school.

If people have 4 kids and are still working shit jobs at fast food restaurants in their late 20's early 30's... Thats their fault.

Maybe they should have gotten their shit together, and stayed in school.
Apr 15 2015 11:43PM
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GregFlik
Posts: 449 - Karma: 1,069
Its McDonald's for Christ sake. You don't even need a high school diploma. That's essentially asking for society to say "Good job not completing a standard amount of public education that is funded by tax payers and bake sales and is necessary. Here is a livable wage at doing a menial job doing a simple task and not moving up or striving for better."

It is absolutely crazy. Prices of everything will increase (including living) and they will then demand $20 and so on until the wage is so hyper inflated that it will collapse.

Fuck that. I'm a damn EMT making 9.50 and hour and sure, I will bitch about it, but I know it isn't enough to raise a family and therefore I wont do it.

Fuck you people that are hoping for $15 per hour. Fuck you.
Apr 15 2015 11:47PM
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byubound
Posts: 1636 - Karma: 9,870
What a joke. I work at a papa Johns making min wage, and this year our wages went up 45ish cents. The franchise just raised the price of a pizza a dollar. It seemed like every customer flipped their crap about it, and I guarantee you most of them voted for the increase. That being said, I wouldn't mind making an extra 5 dollars an hour for the easiest job ever.
Apr 16 2015 9:22AM
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SkiThe603
Posts: 5376 - Karma: 498
Until people understand wage increase = cost of living increase they will keep demanding more money and will eventually have less due to general cost of living. If McDick workers get $15 an hour, goodbye dollar menu, hello $5 menu for same amount of food
Apr 16 2015 9:26AM
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integralmgmt
Posts: 476 - Karma: 921
While I'm not an economist, I'm having trouble finding reasons not to support raising the minimum wage. Firstly, it would allow individuals working minimum wage jobs to far more comfortably support a family. It would also help to even income distribution. While I would never support socialism, I do support a nation in which every family is able to live above the poverty line. Wealth distribution in the US is quick falling back to a "Gatsby Curve,"as wealth distribution is more similar than ever to the Gilded Age of the 1920s. I also assume that by raising the minimum wage to around $12/hour we would see more Americans going to work - men and women who currently rely on government assistance would see incentive to finding a job.

The cost would, of course, be rising prices for consumers; however, actual hourly labor costs represent significantly less of a cost to corporations when compared to other expenses.
Apr 16 2015 9:41AM
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SkiThe603
Posts: 5376 - Karma: 498
integralmgmtWhile I'm not an economist, I'm having trouble finding reasons not to support raising the minimum wage. Firstly, it would allow individuals working minimum wage jobs to far more comfortably support a family. It would also help to even income distribution. While I would never support socialism, I do support a nation in which every family is able to live above the poverty line. Wealth distribution in the US is quick falling back to a "Gatsby Curve,"as wealth distribution is more similar than ever to the Gilded Age of the 1920s. I also assume that by raising the minimum wage to around $12/hour we would see more Americans going to work - men and women who currently rely on government assistance would see incentive to finding a job.

The cost would, of course, be rising prices for consumers; however, actual hourly labor costs represent significantly less of a cost to corporations when compared to other expenses.


While I agree it would be a great step to get all families above the poverty line that will never happen. We live in a capitalist society where those with wealth gather and keep said wealth while the lower income groups struggle to get by. Even if wages are increased all a big corporation, such as McDicks, has to do is increase cost of a product. Just because minimum wage goes up doesn't mean people will start looking for work. Many people are content collecting unemployment and other government assistance because this is America, we have a major problem of sloth and gluttony. Don't deny it, our country is trying to run itself into the ground
Apr 16 2015 9:51AM
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byubound
Posts: 1636 - Karma: 9,870
integralmgmtWhile I'm not an economist, I'm having trouble finding reasons not to support raising the minimum wage. Firstly, it would allow individuals working minimum wage jobs to far more comfortably support a family. It would also help to even income distribution. While I would never support socialism, I do support a nation in which every family is able to live above the poverty line. Wealth distribution in the US is quick falling back to a "Gatsby Curve,"as wealth distribution is more similar than ever to the Gilded Age of the 1920s. I also assume that by raising the minimum wage to around $12/hour we would see more Americans going to work - men and women who currently rely on government assistance would see incentive to finding a job.

The cost would, of course, be rising prices for consumers; however, actual hourly labor costs represent significantly less of a cost to corporations when compared to other expenses.

Just because the cost will be significantly less for the corporations doesn't mean that the money would come back to the consumer, at all. Read my previous post about how much prices have gone up with minor minimum wage increases where I work. I would not be surprised if you are paying 15 dollars for a pizza if this happens.
Apr 16 2015 10:27AM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
.complexNot to mention that working at McDonald's is just straight up not worth $15 an hour...


I got $17.56 for working at McDonald's when I was 18 in Australia. Lololol sucked in America
Apr 16 2015 10:27AM
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-benedetto
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 1,359
overpopulation + computers replacing workers + raising minimum wage = ???

I do support a raise though. How about a dollar a year for 3 or 4 years?


Anyone mad about what they had to do vs others are sort of being selfish, imo. However, you should be paid based on skills so actually, I have no idea what the solution.
Apr 16 2015 10:32AM
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-benedetto
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 1,359
Another aspect to look at is the million dollar profits some companies have and still pay their employees like dog shit.
Apr 16 2015 10:33AM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
-benedettoAnother aspect to look at is the million dollar profits some companies have and still pay their employees like dog shit.


You know only McDonalds in Australia and New Zealand turned a profit last year right?
Apr 16 2015 10:37AM
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5712 - Karma: 20,638
UglyboyYou know only McDonalds in Australia and New Zealand turned a profit last year right?


I don't believe that for one second.
Apr 16 2015 10:41AM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
Fast food workers don't deserve $15/hr because the simple laws of supply/demand don't allow for it. The only way someone will make $15/hr is if that 1 person performs the job of 2 people, meaning someone else will lose his or her job.

Productivity/efficiency gains lead to wage growth at the expense of unskilled labor. None of this shit will matter when Skynet takes over however and most work is automated (next 20-30 years).
Apr 16 2015 10:46AM
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~~~~~~~~
Posts: 2345 - Karma: 2,104
SkiThe603Until people understand wage increase = cost of living increase they will keep demanding more money and will eventually have less due to general cost of living. If McDick workers get $15 an hour, goodbye dollar menu, hello $5 menu for same amount of food


What you are missing is that costs of living have been going up while the minimum wage has remained largely stagnant, actually decreasing in value in real terms. Increasing the minimum wage isn't so much a raise as it is a correction.
Apr 16 2015 10:51AM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
CaptainObvious.I don't believe that for one second.



Yeah my bad confused financial growth with profit. McDonalds profits in the us dropped 4% last financial year. Australia and New Zealand McDonalds were the only ones to grow profits.

Again my bad. Confused my facts
Apr 16 2015 10:52AM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,485
~~~~~~~~What you are missing is that costs of living have been going up while the minimum wage has remained largely stagnant, actually decreasing in value in real terms. Increasing the minimum wage isn't so much a raise as it is a correction.


Yes but $15 is a severe over correction
Apr 16 2015 10:54AM
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nutz.
Posts: 3150 - Karma: 6,712
integralmgmtWhile I'm not an economist, I'm having trouble finding reasons not to support raising the minimum wage. Firstly, it would allow individuals working minimum wage jobs to far more comfortably support a family. It would also help to even income distribution. While I would never support socialism, I do support a nation in which every family is able to live above the poverty line. Wealth distribution in the US is quick falling back to a "Gatsby Curve,"as wealth distribution is more similar than ever to the Gilded Age of the 1920s. I also assume that by raising the minimum wage to around $12/hour we would see more Americans going to work - men and women who currently rely on government assistance would see incentive to finding a job.

The cost would, of course, be rising prices for consumers; however, actual hourly labor costs represent significantly less of a cost to corporations when compared to other expenses.


you don't have to be an economist to figure this one out. If the minimum wage increases by 50%, everyone else would subsequently be asking for a wage increase (i.e. the people who were earning 15$ before are now saying wtf, you think my job's only worth minimum wage?)

For a while, sure it would be good and some families would benefit immensely, but in the long run it'll cause a ripple effect where our cost of living would subsequently increase and the poverty line (minimum amount required to live comfortably) would be raised and we'd be right back at square one.

I'm all for reducing world hunger and living above the poverty line, but there needs to be incentives behind it, and a different solution, as with wage increases the economy will always find a way to balance itself out.

if it doesn't make sense, think of it as the u.s. treasury printing out more bills to pay their debts. The money would eventually become more and more useless.
Apr 16 2015 11:55AM
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sbarlett
Posts: 882 - Karma: 4,255
UglyboyI got $17.56 for working at McDonald's when I was 18 in Australia. Lololol sucked in America


I mean I bet you enjoyed that, but that's not beneficial to the overall economy in any way
Apr 16 2015 11:57AM
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nutz.
Posts: 3150 - Karma: 6,712
UglyboyYou know only McDonalds in Australia and New Zealand turned a profit last year right?


false. They turned a profit as a whole (read stock charts, etc.). You're probably misreading it in that they're the only ones that didn't have a decrease in profit margins, which doeesn't mean they aren't turning a profit.
Apr 16 2015 11:58AM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
nutz.false. They turned a profit as a whole (read stock charts, etc.). You're probably misreading it in that they're the only ones that didn't have a decrease in profit margins, which doeesn't mean they aren't turning a profit.


Yeah I misconstrued the title of a news article. My bad, my bad.
Apr 16 2015 12:03PM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
.complexI mean I bet you enjoyed that, but that's not beneficial to the overall economy in any way


Well the argument based on if McDonalds increases their wages then food will cost more. Wrong. A big Mac in Australia and a big Mac in America cost about the same when adjusted for PPP. Also my MPS was almost 0. So assuming people at McDonald's on minimum wage have a MPS of 0,they're changing the Keynesian multiplier, thus having a greater effect on the growth of the economy.

Also, most McDonalds employ minimal staff for the sales they make so if they were to raise the minimum wage to 15 an hour they couldn't cut their staff as they're performing at maximum efficiency on the long run curve.
Apr 16 2015 12:21PM
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MLJ
Posts: 1849 - Karma: 3,649
I hate this BS so much, I hope all the employers do the same thing reagan did in that air traffic controller strike (which I thought was absolutely awesome of him).

Americans sit on their asses complaining how foreigners are "stealing" their jobs, and this is why. They are not lazy and are willing to work for way less. Get over it.

/rant
Apr 16 2015 1:04PM
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nutz.
Posts: 3150 - Karma: 6,712
UglyboyWell the argument based on if McDonalds increases their wages then food will cost more. Wrong. A big Mac in Australia and a big Mac in America cost about the same when adjusted for PPP. Also my MPS was almost 0. So assuming people at McDonald's on minimum wage have a MPS of 0,they're changing the Keynesian multiplier, thus having a greater effect on the growth of the economy.

Also, most McDonalds employ minimal staff for the sales they make so if they were to raise the minimum wage to 15 an hour they couldn't cut their staff as they're performing at maximum efficiency on the long run curve.


it's not directly proportional. It's an extreme example of what's possible. The argument is that if minimum wage across the board increased by 15$ eventually you'd see the effects of a higher cost of living. By your own logic in this statement, since you had to adjust for PPP, the cost of living in australia is indeed higher no which does show some correlation with wages+COL?
Apr 16 2015 1:16PM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
nutz.it's not directly proportional. It's an extreme example of what's possible. The argument is that if minimum wage across the board increased by 15$ eventually you'd see the effects of a higher cost of living. By your own logic in this statement, since you had to adjust for PPP, the cost of living in australia is indeed higher no which does show some correlation with wages+COL?


Cost of living is higher in Australia but it's due to supply side forces. (import costs, etc) there's not a lot of demand side forces affecting inflation. And I'm pretty sure Australia is operating at NAIRU
Apr 16 2015 1:41PM
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JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,176
Couldn't this all be avoided if the government lowered taxes? Everyone would win.
Apr 16 2015 1:55PM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
JAHpowCouldn't this all be avoided if the government lowered taxes? Everyone would win.


Yah everyone except the uhh .... government which needs tax revenue for infrastructure, debt service and other spending.

Anyway, lowering taxes wouldn't really help those making minimum wage much.

40 hours per week * $7.50 * 52 weeks = $15,600 per year

15% taxes = $2340
10% taxes = $1560

Difference = $780. It's a decent chunk of change but it's not going to raise someone out of the poverty level.
Apr 16 2015 2:01PM
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SFB
Posts: 8895 - Karma: 26,352
LOL
Apr 16 2015 2:05PM
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SFB
Posts: 8895 - Karma: 26,352
employers would cut employees and the hours worked to an absolute minimum not to mention cutting any benefits they may have had.
Apr 16 2015 2:09PM
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nutz.
Posts: 3150 - Karma: 6,712
JAHpowCouldn't this all be avoided if the government lowered taxes? Everyone would win.


until your roads turn to such shit that you can't even drive on them, you get no public services, etc.
Apr 16 2015 2:25PM
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