Wage Strikes Planned at Fast Food Outlets in 100 US Cities on Thursday (12/5/13)

Problem is that minimum wage jobs are all that's left. Manufacturing is shipped out to China, IT shipped out to India, and that degree and education you got isn't currently worth what was paid to get it. The majority of companies are unwilling to train, and paying for continued education on your own is way too expensive when it has no guarantees in relation to future employment. It's reasonable that when there are no or few other options, you think that whatever you're stuck with should be able to manage a fairly basic cost of living. Particularly when public aid options are insufficient, inefficient, and involve another layer of difficulty, while simply increasing wages would cover the same amount without jumping through hoops.

But if not increasing minimum wage, perhaps regulation should take the Jimmy McMillan approach? Put a cap on how much rent or service charges are allowed in some cases. Some things should be changed such that any company recieving corporate welfare should be made to contribute to public welfare. Particularly when maintenance or overhead in keeping properties or services up hasn't increased in proportion to what's now being charged for their use. At least do something to make the bottom tier cost of living fit the minimum wage if it can't be done the other way around.

Or bring back tariffs to cover for the lost jobs that have been exported and no longer making currency circulate in the local economy. Also needed are higher tier income tax brackets for those who sit on millions or billions in wealth and don't do anything productive (in terms of the greater good) with them. At least that way there is some means to make up for the money that is needed for social services.

reply to post by pauljs75


It irritates me when people say that all the manufacturing jobs have been shipped to China. That’s just not true. Look around at all the Electrician, Plumbing, HVAC, Auto mechanics shops, etc, small businesses that are out there in your town. Then you have logistics. That’s a really BIG business. Stuff has to be transported and tracked.

On the tariffs thing though, I agree with you. Reducing tariffs has really hurt the US, I say that we go tit for tat and whatever tariff X country applies to the US, we apply it back. I would even go so far as to say that we apply it to immigration as well. The US has some of the most liberal immigration policies and it's biting us in the butt.

Many people can't face the reality that they'll never live the life of whatever reality TV star they idolize and it pisses them off. There are GOBS of good paying jobs out there, but to many people don't want to get their hands dirty.

While I do support an increase in minimum wage (in principal) to close the gap created in the ever-increasing cost of living,

reply to post by ArchAngel_X


If you up the minimum wage, you up the cost of living.
The people who make more than minimum wage are the people who get hurt, the minimum wage people stay the same because the cost of everything goes up. And the people who make more than minimum wage now have to pay more.

reply to post by TDawgRex


I understand your point about these being the start of the career jobs, although what should people for whose capabilities a job like that is the upper limit due to reasons I described in my post?

Should they suffer for the rest of their lives?

There will always be people, who however hard they work, can never achieve anything greater than the menial routine-based job, simply due their genetics, health or some other reasons (roughly 10-15% of the society). Should they suffer for the rest of their lives?

That is something I personally do not believe in. With today´s technology and knowledge, such things should be inexistent. Anybody born into an advanced nation should never starve or live in poverty, not even talking about a working person.

The problem does not even lie in the actual value of the work, but the companies competing for the lowest price and one of the ways of doing it is by paying people less. The lower the personnel cost, the higher the advantage against opponents, as majority of people go for the lowest prices. Even when the personnel was paid fairly, the prices would not rise significantly so other people can´t afford them.

I would not say paying livable wage is throwing money at somebody. Somebody needs to do such jobs anyways, as long as robots don´t take over. I can not even imagine what will happen when automation reaches service sector.

Currently the low prices in retail are solely dependent on two factors -underpaid employees and Chinese Asian labour, who are underpaid even by the standards there.

There are solutions to the problems, besides throwing money. Stronger education system, where everybody has right for very strong public school education is one of the ways many countries deal with situations like that, as well as setting minimum salaries dependent on the minimum needed for monthly life, including reasonable quality food.

At the end paying under the livable wage people is damaging the economy as a whole leading to significant productivity loss in long term. At some point the bad nutrition and overworking will start to damage the health of these people and this will lead to significant productivity loss, even when the people have come out of the hole.

reply to post by Cabin


Oh good hell. Now you are on the wagon of every other Progressive where you take the most extreme scenario, like slavery, and equating it to this. Now I know that you rally have nothing else on this.

There are millions of people, born into bad situations, that rise up to be successful. But, lets just dismiss that, and lower society to the standards of the low rung.

So, no, I am not responsible for those people. I should not have money stolen out of my paycheck, to provide for them by the Govt.

And I fail to see where you were given authority to determine how a business operates and what their profit margins are worked within.

I wish them well if they get in bed with the Unions. Course the unions are not going to tell them the horrible truth, and that is they may get that 15 dollar an hour pay, but the union is going to take 1 to 3 dollars in dues every paycheck.

11:45 AM to 12:30 PM shift went like clockwork. Watching them made my lunch hour fun. I'm hoping that the evening shift doesn't get in my way when I'm trying to go home yet.

reply to post by macman


Well how does is it not comparable to slavery?

When a person has no talent for any job requiring good skills, there is no other choice than doing the menial routine-based jobs. Whether walmart or some other company, who is offering them, all of them are paying somewhat similar salary. At the end there are no opportunities, not much to choose from, especially in current economy. Either work there and earn less than livable or work in the other place for similar salary. Slave for one or slave for the other or simply lose the home and starve/go to crime.

You are bringing up people who rise up from such conditions. These are the talented ones. What should the untalented ones who were born into such conditions do?

There will always be people, who however hard they work, can never achieve anything greater than the menial routine-based job, simply due their genetics, health or some other reasons (roughly 10-15% of the society). Should they suffer for the rest of their lives?

reply to post by Cabin


Of course not. But many of these people do not fit that category. They do have a say in their life and have chosen their culture or maybe even familial bonds over moving up and out of the position they find themselves in.

TeThat is something I personally do not believe in. With today´s technology and knowledge, such things should be inexistent. Anybody born into an advanced nation should never starve or live in poverty, not even talking about a working person. The problem does not even lie in the actual value of the work, but the companies competing for the lowest price and one of the ways of doing it is by paying people less. The lower the personnel cost, the higher the advantage against opponents, as majority of people go for the lowest prices. Even when the personnel was paid fairly, the prices would not rise significantly so other people can´t afford them.

As far as I’m concerned, if an individual feels they are not getting a competitive wage, they need to find a new job. And raising the wages at MickeyD’s would pretty much put them out of business, which I’m cool with. Have you noticed how many McDonalds are in poorer neighborhoods as compared to affluent ones? It’s eye opening. Even their marketing can be construed as racist as it always shows a disproportionate amount of blacks eating that crap.

I would not say paying livable wage is throwing money at somebody. Somebody needs to do such jobs anyways, as long as robots don´t take over. I can not even imagine what will happen when automation reaches service sector.

Automation will eventually take over…then these people are royally screwed. As will be the rest of society when these people take to crime to survive.

Currently the low prices in retail are solely dependent on two factors -underpaid employees and Chinese Asian labour, who are underpaid even by the standards there.

Tariffs and taxes on companies that have shipped jobs overseas could cure a lot of that.

There are solutions to the problems, besides throwing money. Stronger education system, where everybody has right for very strong public school education is one of the ways many countries deal with situations like that, as well as setting minimum salaries dependent on the minimum needed for monthly life, including reasonable quality food.

I agree with the stronger education system, but the minimum wage has been set. And do you really think that someone working at a burger joint is going to eat healthy?

At the end paying under the livable wage people is damaging the economy as a whole leading to significant productivity loss in long term. At some point the bad nutrition and overworking will start to damage the health of these people and this will lead to significant productivity loss, even when the people have come out of the hole.

Then you have people working under the table and not reporting their income, others smuggling, etc, etc. People doing what they have to do to get out of the situation that they are in.

reply to post by Cabin


Do we need to have a remedial discussion as to definitions of words?
Slavery is not within this argument.

Low wag, unskilled workers working jobs that require no skill and pay low wages is.

Last time I checked, a slave is not compensated for their work, and is typically the property of someone else.

So, yeah....If we must, I will provide the dictionary version of said items.

opethPA

I hope these people protesting their wages get a the raise they need but I also hope I don't have to read about other people complaining when companies raise their prices to compensate for the employee raises.

Probably even more what about people currently making $15 now? Why wouldn't people want to get paid more than an entry level job if that entry level job pays $15 and they make $16.50 just prior to the entry level job getting that $7 raise? The average factory wage in the U.S. is around $19.00, don't you think they will want a massive raise too?

Raising the minimum wage implicitly means you are OK with pretty heavy inflation. Everything will cost more, which means that Everyone's buying power will erode even faster.

Everybody is always willing to spend SOMEONE else's money far more freely then they would if it was their own money to spend. If you basically double your labor cost, it WILL affect your business dramatically.


Let's increase wages magically (for no clear economic reason) while we still print "money" out of thin air......I'm sure nothing bad will come of that........

Better get the wheelbarrows out.

NavyDoc
How many of these "protesters" were actual workers and how many were the usual suspects of leftist activists and "community organizers" and professional protestors?

I was wondering that myself. SEIU was probably there in force, remember those charming folks from the the last few years?

LDragonFire

beezzer

palmalBlue2

beezzer
I just pointed out that the workers actually want to get paid more than the owner of the franchise.

Anyone notice?

I did. and yes, the people I know that are pushing for the 15 min. wage are wanting specifically 15 because thats how much they would need to make to make up for the loss of gov. assistance.

An 8 min wage job would not even begin to cover what they would have to pay out themselves if kicked off assistance.

Pretty sad state of affairs this country is in when one can make a better living off the assistance.

So you want the workers to be paid as much or more than the ones who create the business and hire the people?

You are stating as fact that all franchise owners only make $14.80 and hour?
This site claims much higher returns :CNN MONEY

You aren't reading those numbers right. Those numbers are just after cost of goods sold, you still have Labor, Taxes, Rent, Insurance, Loan Payments, Utilities, Unemployment Insurance, Accounting, Payroll services, Legal Services, Property taxes, Employee Benefits and Royalty fees plus various other minor services.

Run a business, then you can complain about how much money people make........

If you make under 12 dollars an hour you are screwed.



Food,shelter,fuel,clothes,electricity,water.........Inflation my dear readers is about to go crazy. Don't believe me..........Think I am wrong ?.




The easiest way to see it is your grocery bill each week. Prices will continue to rise and you will be screwed. I wonder how many people reading this make under 12 dollars an hour? Truth be told nothing can be done on a federal level to change it. If they raise the wages the system will crash. We are walking on egg shells.



The progressive mindset is the root cause. Do what you can to not let it in your house. That is all you can do.

reply to post by GunzCoty


I just don't believe this..and have heard many reports that this just simply isn't the truth. Look at countries like Australia that have high wages at the exact same restaurants...their burgers and fries are no more costly than in any large city in the USA.

I heard a report on the radio this morning about places right here in the states that pay 17 bucks an hour. Burger Kings and McD in LA..they interviewed some workers making almost 18 bucks an hour and the burger meals are approx. 1.50 more than in bumpkin Wisconsin. The thing is that the wealthiest few will have to give in a little. It doesn't have to be like you suggest. The prices on products don't have to rise...but the CEO's/Family fortunes will have to decrease...as it should..because exactly how much money is enough for them for doing what equates to not much...other than showing their faces at charitable events

pavil

NavyDoc
How many of these "protesters" were actual workers and how many were the usual suspects of leftist activists and "community organizers" and professional protestors?

I was wondering that myself. SEIU was probably there in force, remember those charming folks from the the last few years?

This was ALL organized by the SEIU, one if the main Unions that has a non-negitiable contract that will get an automatic pay raise between 5-8% for every 0.75 cent increase in minimum wage. They are pushing for this, because THEY want a pay raise, because 40.00, 75.00, and 120.00 an hour is just not enough. They want more.

They don't care about the McDonald's employees, they are simply using them to get a free, non-negotiable pay raise off the backs of the little people. This has been pointed out several times in this thread, and multiple times in this topic on ATS by me, with citations.

This was urged, and pushed, by Obama, as a way to say thank you to the SEIU for their "help" during his campaigns, and assistance in "getting out the vote".

reply to post by Libertygal


They care about the worker about as much and Jackson and Sharpton care about civil rights.

I gotta love when Progressives get all bent out of shape when Conservative Groups push for things. But when Unions do it, all is good in the world.

reply to post by Libertygal


Figures......

I pretty much expected that.

Gotta admire how Obama can suck up to Wall Street, Drug Companies, The Banking Industry and Unions all at the same time and have them believe he's got their back.

Third shift reported in right on time. I think I'm going to grab a seat in a restaraunt for dinner and watch. This is hilarious.

Raise the min wage to $15/hr. And poor people will be paying $8.00 for a Big Mac, $5.00 for a large fry, and $5.00 for a coke.

Also why are unions organizing this protest?

Because union wages are directly linked to the min wage.
In a lot of union contracts, there are provisions requiring wages to be 200% or 300% above the min wage.

Who wants a raise?