The Very Real Scourge of Wage Theft

a reply to: DenyTreason

Nothing in my post about left or right. So I submit your rebut is 'nonsense'.

Truckers don't get paid sick days. paid statutory holidays and if OTR, no such thing as overtime.

I'm not whining! Why are you?

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Hey, I'm not disagreeing with you. All I'm saying, and other post here as well, is it's a two way street.

The whole thing is going to hell in a hand basket.

There's virtually no trucking company that pays actual miles driven. They're paid book miles.

I've seen both what your referring to and the other side as well. I condone neither. I work HARD. I've left companies that screwed me and am working for one that's pretty damn good, comparatively speaking.

Old trucker maxim. "I was looking for a job when I found this one"....

a reply to: AlaskanDad

A trucker with a 'silver spoon'? Your joking, right.

I've been screwed so many times over the decades it started to feel good!

Packed my bag and left.... found one pretty good.

What I won't do is play victim. If I don't like it, I leave. Try something else or somewhere else.

I've got stories, after 3 million plus miles, of getting screwed that are massive. Multiple times. I've learned most of the traps in the industry and have found a a decent one. Even that won't last forever the way things are changing so fast.

I guess getting old has made me appreciate what I have and not ruin that by dwelling on what could have or should have been... Not enough time for it....

a reply to: nwtrucker

Driving jobs can open up new possibilities that the average 9 to 5 worker doesn't know about while they're in that rut. The potential to be your boss by owning your own truck or other vehicle that you make a living from is a lot greater than starting your own pizza company or retail store. You can start out by working for someone else, and in a lot of cases dictate when and how much you work, but save at the same time for the purpose of owning your own equipment and selling your services as an owner-op. Start up costs are typically a lot less than people figure.

In cases like this, wage theft doesn't exist. In the cases where it does, the best way to remedy that is a nationwide walkout. Have 80% of McDonald's or Wal Mart workers nationwide walk out for one day. Just one. You'll get the attention of the top tier, I guarantee it. If people can coordinate large scale personal events that don't help society, they can coordinate events that do. The people on unemployment are there because they would rather have that than work for unscrupulous bosses who fudge the numbers, so you don't really have to worry about them taking the jobs of the strikers.

All it takes is a little courage, education about the business in question and a lot of self-confidence, and both of the scenarios I just pointed out can be easily realized. It isn't that hard people.

a reply to: DenyTreason

Show us where the "Republicans" has said they wanted to get rid of overtime.

Try the Rant Forum.

As far as a living wage goes, more left fraud.

IN THE DAY, a couple got married, applied "two can live a cheaply as one", saved their money, he busted his butt and worked his way up the pecking order and got raises.

Then, and only then, she'd quit her job, they'd get a house and THEN make babies!

Now those low skilled, entry level jobs have to pay a living wage? Due to the no "Trojans"? They give them away for free these days...LOL

On a federal level, The Democrats raised the minimum wage issue twice in the last few years. Once Clinton when faced with disastrous polls before his second election and the same with the Dems before this last election. In both cases, they had complete control of both houses earlier and never once raised the issue of a minimum wage increase .

a reply to: AlaskanDad

this happens in places where the workers are typically going to lack the mathematical sophistication to know any better. I have been floored over how few people can actually calculate their paycheck. The biggest issue is converting from a hexidecimal to decimal math. But just calculating things like OT and getting in the neighborhood....its not as easy (apparently) as most of us seem to think it is.

That said: any employer found doing this should be strung up. It is wrong on a level that causes me to become emotional. I'd rot in hell before screwing an employee out of even a penny of their hard earned money. We even use an OT calculation that typically puts more money in our folks pockets (a blended rate OT for those working multiple departments/payrates).

a reply to: nwtrucker

As far as a living wage goes, more left fraud.

How so?

These multi million dollar corps have destroyed so many small mom and pop businesses that it is disgusting. From the small cafe to corner markets the corps have taken over, these were businesses that supported families now they make wall street profit.

So it is not just about paying a low wages to kids, but also the bankrupting of many small businesses that one time supported families in the US of A!

a reply to: DeepImpactX

Your raise some good points. There are opportunities in trucking.

What you are either unaware of or omit is the hours a trucker puts in. Legally, 70 hours on duty per 8 day week. That is fudged considerably, it's more like 80-90....or more. Get home and your FUBAR'd. A couple of days later, bye, bye..again.

Now your 9-5 employee can go home, surf the net for jobs in the same industry, different fields altogether, improve his education/trade skills on-line...plenty of opportunities out there for him IF he is motivated to do so.

Bottom line, opportunities are out there, perhaps more accessible than ever before.....

3 million miles as an o/o has gotten me lymphoma, diabetes, two detached retinas, 3 cataracts and an umbilical hernia...Otherwise, I'm fine...LMFAO.

Now I bank more as a hired driver in a 40-50 hour work-week than I ever did as an Owner-operator.

As far as the Wal-Mart issue goes, I like the prices I pay when I choose that route. The employees...err, sorry the "associates" at Wal-Mart have those same opportunities as the 9-5 employee or even the trucker. IF MOTIVATED.

Move on from Wal-Mart. There's plenty out there to take his place....

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Your point isn't applicable to wages, per say. The Mom and Pops suffers more from a Minimum wage increase than the big guys. The biggies have the advantage of volume purchasing, that's the real reason the little guys has gone down.

The big guys can absorb those costs and pass it on to the consumer far easier than the Mom and Pops.

( On a personal note, I neither like or dislike the big or the small firms. Each has the good points and their bad. I try to maintain an objective view on it. We need both.

I actually admire the skill and sharpness that the Wal-Marts and Costco's of the world have shown in setting up their operations.

I'm waiting for the next sharp cookie to come along and render them obsolete... I've actually worked out a way to return that purchasing power to the little guys to an equal footing. The trouble is to implement it is so far above my pay-grade as to require a Saturn Rocket just present it.)

No, Proof of Origin is NOT in place.....

a reply to: nwtrucker

Not applicable?

Jobs that in the past paid livable wages were lost and replaced with minimum wage positions.

As far as a living wage goes, more left fraud.

How is this a fraud by the left?

It would seem that Wall Street corps have defrauded the people of those jobs that were living wage jobs, for the sake of more profits. imho

a reply to: AlaskanDad

The "Left" heavily supports big banks and big international corporations.

originally posted by: Hoosierdaddy71
I have never worked at a place that paid overtime until you hit your 40 hour work week.

Me neither. I've always been under the assumption -- and agreed with because it seemed simple --that 40 hours in a week was 40 hours, you don't get overtime pay until you hit over 40 hours first. Frankly, it seems the most fair & straightforward to me. Employers agree to pay an employee for 40 hours of work, employees agree to do said 40 hours of work even if it's 4 10 hour days, or a regular standard 8 hour 5 day week. Any extra hours over 40, boom, overtime pay calculated on those extra hours. So much for simple, I guess it isn't that simple?

And as far as wage stealing, yes, it happens. One of my friends works for Walmart, she's convinced they've rounded down her hours on the clock, too. What's just as crappy is the companies who schedule people for 40 hours, then chop it down after the fact to 35, even 30 hours. And do it regularly. So much for full-time jobs anymore, companies might just as well outright say they're not hiring for FT anymore, it's a disguised PT one :/

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Ok, show me an example of past 'livable wage' jobs that were replaced by minimum wage ones.

Unless you refer to manufacturing jobs that left the country and more service industry jobs replacing them?

If so, how is that 'stealing wages'? I don't get it....

Holy cow! Instead of whining about somebody possibly "stealing" your wages---why not contact the applicable Labor Board and present your evidence. I was employed by a firm that didn't like to pay overtime. The boss even stated to me "We don't pay overtime." and yet when I made a simple complaint via phone to the Labor Board, she was disabused of the notion that anyone could get by without paying overtime.
Coming to an internet forum and complaining isn't going to do one bit of good. Talking to or writing to the folks in charge of labor laws will get your wages for you. You don't have to hire an attorney---just have evidence of your claim.
It ain't rocket science---it is following the law. It's not up to the Labor Board to contact each employee of every firm to ask if they are paid properly. It is up to YOU.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Ok, show me an example of past 'livable wage' jobs that were replaced by minimum wage ones.

OMG!
Have you not read any of my posts that you have replied to?

a reply to: Nyiah

I have had to work a double 12 hour shift, 23 hours straight without getting overtime because the company kept me at 80 hrs for the two week pay period. I soon had another job with better working conditions and more pay.

While working in the shipyard we had to work three thirteen hour days because they did not want to lay off any welder fitters, I really did not mind not getting overtime pay then.

In refinery maintenance we start at six twelve hour days and if the project falls behind schedule we go to seven days of 12+, meaning 13 1/2 to 14 1/2 hours. Boy was the overtime nice to see on those checks!

If you are leveraged into working double shifts I do think getting overtime is appropriate. If you have agreed to working 4 scheduled 10 hour days that is different.

I remember going to the unemployment office and having them tell me I needed 800 hrs and since I only worked twelve weeks I could not possibly qualify. My response was that their job was to input the information I gave them to the computer and then tell me the results, not give an opinion. I had in 1100 hrs, the shocked worker could not understand and said there must be some kind of mistake.

We should get what we work for and most workers will go the extra mile for fair pay!

a reply to: AlaskanDad

OMG! Are you trying to get my BP up? There is not a single example in your posts of a specific "living wage" job replaced by a minimum wage one.

I re-read your posts to confirm. Maybe you should too.....

a reply to: nwtrucker

Do you need the names of the Mom and pops diners and stores who have closed while trying to compete with corps that pay minimum wages, I suppose you want names Social Security numbers and DOB's of those that lost those jobs too?

On the other hand you have not even tried to explained this statement of yours:

As far as a living wage goes, more left fraud.

a reply to: AlaskanDad
Read the whole post, instead of taking that quote out of context. I explained it FULLY.

Living 'wages' implies employees. "Wages" "employees"...Hello?

"Mom and Pops" are businesses. They come and go just like the big ones come and go.

Name the industry where a 'living wage' has been replaced by a minimum wage. That's your statement. (Third time asked...and the last time).

a reply to: nwtrucker

OIC, mom and pop owned businesses never employed anyone just did all the work themselves,

omg what world do you live in!