Fast-food walkout U.S. workers strike in several cities to call attention to low wages.

Originally posted by oblvion

BBBbut, the business owner is the only person risking anything, he should get all the rewards. I mean he is the one not digging the ditch that is making him the money in the first place......

What kind of messed up logic makes people be able to say somthing like this and sleep at night....sorry I have to go puke now.

The business owner invests in the shovel that is used to dig the ditch. He also invests in the network needed to gain jobs digging ditches.


If the worker was able to do it themselves, why wouldn't they?

So the honest approach here is to admit that the employer and employee need each other. How do you determine wage, other than to let the market work it out? If your position is in demand, it pays more. Otherwise, it pays less.

Unless you would rather the government dictate what each individual makes?

Then again, we can share equally with all employees. But how many folks will put up their 250k to start a small franchise, when they will only see returns of 60k/year on it (if their are lucky)? It will take more than 4 years to pay off the initial investment. You will have a severe slowing in eonomic growth I bet it would slow to a pace that is behind that of population growth. If not....well be happy to know that we are making just enough burger flipping jobs for your kids to be employed one day.

Fast food jobs are not meant to be careers. You should be upset at the politicians that have created this mess.

Originally posted by Aazadan
Funny comparison I thought about with that proposed grocery list, based on the local prices at the Krogers here in town when priced out by todays standards:
3 pounds cheese $24
3 pounds turkey $24
3 loaves of bread $6
1 jar peanut butter $2
1 jar jelly $2
8 cans of soup $8
12 eggs $2
6 cans pork & beans $12
6 frozen chicken pie $21
5 pounds potatoes $6
1 box of crackers $3
1 pound pork roast $5
1 pound frozen vegetables $2

That totals $117. After cutbacks for the past couple years, here in Ohio food stamps only come to about $125/month (or less if you're earning any money). So that "very light" grocery list is what many are living on.

Minimum wage in 1956 $2080, grocery costs of $104.88 or 5.04% of income. Those same groceries today are $1404 annually with a minimum wage of $15080 or 9.31% of income. Just another metric of how the wage has not kept up. By this metric, minimum wage would need to increase 88% WITHOUT a corresponding increase in prices to get back to where it was.

How much longer can prices like this continue to rise? 1....Maybe 2 more years. I am going to make a prediction and in my eyes it is a sure bet.



The lowest wage earners are about to be bankrupted because of inflation. Anyone who makes under 12 dollars an hour is screwed. It might take a few years but unless prices fall it will happen. This will touch everyone including the highest wage earners.


Have we already reached the point of no return? I really don't know....Maybe.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

The business owner invests in the shovel that is used to dig the ditch. He also invests in the network needed to gain jobs digging ditches.

i suppose there is a specific reason you failed to mention the investment into the employee doing the digging ??

(oh yeah, nvm, they're expendable, right ?)

If the worker was able to do it themselves, why wouldn't they?

plenty of them already do, however, most 'digging' assignments fall under the blanket of another task being performed by other participants in the project, hence, unions.

i could almost agree with your next commentary but then you went here ...

If your position is in demand, it pays more. Otherwise, it pays less

so, which employment is in greater demand ??
fast food employees or ditch diggers ??

care to re-think that statement about "if it's in demand, it pays more" ???

Unless you would rather the government dictate what each individual makes?

isn't that a reason ppl want the minimum wage raised in the first place ??
government dictate and all

new, small businesses have been expecting operations to run in the red for the 1st 5 yrs for decades, so, why not ??

reply to post by PlatinumShatinum

Fast food jobs are not meant to be careers.

then seriously, why bother at all ??
surely the franchisers and stockholders view it as profitable, so, why shouldn't the employees ?

so, according to you and others, franchise owners who started some 15-20yrs ago as dishwashers should have done what ??
quit after summer break ?

i suppose they should have never opened their own franchises because that dishwashing position back then was NEVER MEANT to create an opportunity for a career ???

or is it more like ... now that saturation is becoming an issue, the opportunities are dwindling.
so now, it's the employees duty to find something else, right ?

ETA -- ya know, every time i read through drivel like what's in this thread, the first thing that comes to mind is the nursery school playground and the infamous chant ...
... too bad, so sad, we got here first ...
grow up folks.

Originally posted by Honor93
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

The business owner invests in the shovel that is used to dig the ditch. He also invests in the network needed to gain jobs digging ditches.

i suppose there is a specific reason you failed to mention the investment into the employee doing the digging ??

(oh yeah, nvm, they're expendable, right ?)

Yes, because it wasn't germane to what I was saying. The cost of hiring/training employees is actually a budgeted item for any company that actually tries to create annual budgets.

Any employee who does not wish to perform the tasks agreed upon (when they sign their job description) at the wage agreed upon (when they sign their new hire paperwork), then they are free to leave. If they value their job, they will discuss it with the employer first. And of the employer values their employees, they will engage in the conversation. In my shops, that is how I expect it to work. Not all employees can live up to that....but I always do. Every. Single. Time.

plenty of them already do, however, most 'digging' assignments fall under the blanket of another task being performed by other participants in the project, hence, unions.

Not in Texas. And we seem to do just fine on construction projects. I have worked fairly closely with a few major projects, and have had no problems with there not being unions. The GC hires subs based on a bid process. Everyone has a choice.

so, which employment is in greater demand ??
fast food employees or ditch diggers ??

I dunno. Since neither pay well, nor are they rewarding work, I would expect the intellectually talented individual not not find themselves working either for long. Nursing pays extremely well.

care to re-think that statement about "if it's in demand, it pays more" ???

Not at all. The magic fairly doesn't dictate wages.

isn't that a reason ppl want the minimum wage raised in the first place ??
government dictate and all

new, small businesses have been expecting operations to run in the red for the 1st 5 yrs for decades, so, why not ??

There you go. So all employees take a bath for the first 5 years. Sounds great. I bet you will be first in line for that job.

I mean, there obviously is no risk to business. Other than budgeting a lean "ramp up" phase, where no money is made, only lost. Why shouldn't the owner get a larger chunk of that hard earned (and long awaited) cash?

reply to post by Honor93


Flipping burgers for 10 years is not a career. Working your way up through the company, by starting as a burger flipper, is what this country is all about. According to some, the guy flipping the burgers should get the same pay as the person that worked their way up through the system and purchased his own franchise.

Originally posted by Honor93
reply to post by PlatinumShatinum

 

Fast food jobs are not meant to be careers.

then seriously, why bother at all ??
surely the franchisers and stockholders view it as profitable, so, why shouldn't the employees ?

so, according to you and others, franchise owners who started some 15-20yrs ago as dishwashers should have done what ??
quit after summer break ?

i suppose they should have never opened their own franchises because that dishwashing position back then was NEVER MEANT to create an opportunity for a career ???

or is it more like ... now that saturation is becoming an issue, the opportunities are dwindling.
so now, it's the employees duty to find something else, right ?

ETA -- ya know, every time i read through drivel like what's in this thread, the first thing that comes to mind is the nursery school playground and the infamous chant ...
... too bad, so sad, we got here first ...

grow up folks.

edit on 3-9-2013 by Honor93 because: ETA

My mom and dad were oilfield trash. Its how i was raised. My dad told me i couldn't work out there....so i did other stuff that paid worse. I was a CNA (washing and tending to the elderly) for a few years. Then I went to a call center and was just better at that than anyone else. I earned what I have today by working harder and smarter than anyone else around me.

Your presumption of entitlement stinks worse than anything else you are complaining about.

reply to post by HanzHenry


Going to college doesnt change who you are as a person it just educates you.

Thats what people don't get.

reply to post by PeaceXXLove


Your full of #. That doesn't pay for car insurance, gas, food, electricity and phone bills on top of saving money.

Its really simple, your a liar.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Are you really that much of an idiot that you think that the average person should have less and the giant mega corporations should have more?

HOLY CRAP I CANT STAND THIS LEVEL OF STUPIDITY ANYMORE

Originally posted by onequestion
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Are you really that much of an idiot that you think that the average person should have less and the giant mega corporations should have more?

HOLY CRAP I CANT STAND THIS LEVEL OF STUPIDITY ANYMORE

Check your mirror.

I never said that. We were talking about ditch digging. Unless you have ditch digging megacorporations.

Now, I could take your queue and go off on your lack of reading comprehension, or lack of understanding of the difference between small business and mega corporations. Instead, I hope you learn a lesson in civil discourse.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

Now, I could take your queue and go off on your lack of reading comprehension, or lack of understanding of the difference between small business and mega corporations. Instead, I hope you learn a lesson in civil discourse.

I'm done with civil discourse.

Why aren't you discussing the topic of the thread then what are you going on about if what your talking about isn't about the OP?

Forgive me thinking that what your talking about is related to the topic of the thread.

Originally posted by onequestion
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Now, I could take your queue and go off on your lack of reading comprehension, or lack of understanding of the difference between small business and mega corporations. Instead, I hope you learn a lesson in civil discourse.

I'm done with civil discourse.

Why aren't you discussing the topic of the thread then what are you going on about if what your talking about isn't about the OP?

Forgive me thinking that what your talking about is related to the topic of the thread.

You should apply for a moderatorship. But, since we are on page 38....perhaps I can inform you what the topic is:

Fast Food workers walking out on their jobs due to low wages. Fast food establishments are small business, not mega corporations.

BFFT - 2
1? - 0

reply to post by oblvion


I agree with you that when we want to complain we prefer to do to an actual human being. As far as the touch screens go, I prefer the self checkout at home depot or safeway over the actual cashiers and pick them every time if available. I am not sure how much of a fact it is when someone is buying goods that they prefer to deal with a human being. Ordering food or paying for items isn't complaining.

This new article is inline with the problem.

www.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I like your attitude. My hat goes off to you and you have earned to right to be proud. Would like to see more like you in the neighborhood. Thank you.

Originally posted by onequestion
reply to post by PeaceXXLove

 

Your full of #. That doesn't pay for car insurance, gas, food, electricity and phone bills on top of saving money.

Its really simple, your a liar.

He's not a liar, you don't pay attention. There are thousands of places you can live very cheaply in the US and other countries.

Here is a real budget of a friend who lives in the same town as I, a nice 2 bedroom apartment in mid US and works not far from his home.

0 Car payment-none, car paid for (1992 Honda Civic, bought used a few years ago, not pretty but runs)
45.00 Car insurance
475.00 rent - Apt, 2 b/r, 2 bath, (500 sf) covers elec garbage and water
150.00 Groc
37.00 Cell phone - prepaid plan 500 min ea month, Verizon
40.00 dish Satellite tv
65.00 internet service - Verizon wireless
100.00 Petrol
10.00 cat food
15.00 cat litter
80.00 Misc
60.00 Fun

Total: $1025.00

Not every town is like New York City or San Francisco, there's lotsa green in between. If poster rides bus or walks or bikes, there would be no car, ins or gas. In that large of a city, the internet would probly be free in many areas. If you deduct his annual rent and the 5,000 he saved, it would leave $150.00 a month for food and fun. This is a lot of extra money if you spend it wisely.

Originally posted by PlatinumShatinum
Fast food jobs are not meant to be careers. You should be upset at the politicians that have created this mess.

Every Job is MEANT to provide enough compensation to LIVE ON!

Else you are a SLAVE in a negative equity position

Originally posted by HanzHenry

Originally posted by PlatinumShatinum
Fast food jobs are not meant to be careers. You should be upset at the politicians that have created this mess.

Every Job is MEANT to provide enough compensation to LIVE ON!

Else you are a SLAVE in a negative equity position

Untrue.

I could list jobs all day that would not exist if your suggestion were true. Just think about every "PRN" or on-call job that exists. Part time positions. Etc. Etc.

Employers offer employment that they have available. Employees agree to terms or not, and based on that may enter into an employment agreement.