Strike! Strike! Strike! Fast food workers again demand $15/hr

[Mai72]

You guys laugh at the fact that technology will one day eliminate low paying jobs. The thing is WE NEED LOW PAYING JOBS! Not everyone is college material. People need to be able to make a living and they need to be able to pay their bills. What's going to happen when we eliminate these low skilled jobs?

*High unemployment
*Increase in crime
*Welfare
*Higher cases of depression/anxiety

Guess who is going to be paying for these issues? YOU ARE! You're going to see it in increased taxes. You might even get a gun put to your skull. No jobs= A higher rate of crime.

Maybe $15 is extreme. We should search for solutions. Instead, you guys are laughing at the thought that technology will one day replace these so-called ungrateful workers.

 

[Ns1]

You guys laugh at the fact that technology will one day eliminate low paying jobs. The thing is WE NEED LOW PAYING JOBS!

$15/hr is not a low paying job.

I'm not even sure what their angle is - should fast food workers be paid $15/hr, or should the minimum wage be $15/hr?

 

[Mai72]

$15/hr is not a low paying job.

I should have said "we need unskilled jobs that pay a decent wage."

It depends where you live. Try living in NYC on $15 an hour.

$15 x 40 hours= $600 minus deductions and you might take home $520 a week.

$520 x 52 weeks in a year= a little over $27,000

That's not a lot of money especially when you have a family to support.

 

[Mai72]

Why shouldn't we raise the minimum wage? A higher increase means people will spend more, and this is great for our economy.

Instead, we have a few people on the top who are getting extremely wealthy off the backs of the poor and middle class.

 

[Ns1]

I should have said "we need unskilled jobs that pay a decent wage."

It depends where you live. Try living in NYC on $15 an hour.

$15 x 40 hours= $600 minus deductions and you might take home $520 a week.

$520 x 52 weeks in a year= a little over $27,000

That's not a lot of money especially when you have a family to support.

If I had no skills and no money and a family support, I would probably move out of one of the most expensive places in the world. FFS I have skills, some money, and NO family to support and I won't move to NYC.

Why shouldn't we raise the minimum wage? A higher increase means people will spend more, and this is great for our economy.

Instead, we have a few people on the top who are getting extremely wealthy off the backs of the poor and middle class.

you take economics bro? Higher minimum wage will increase the wages for some employees will reducing the total number of available jobs. In the McDonalds example, 3 $7.75/hr employees would be replaced by 1 $15/hr employee and 4 ordering kiosks.

I can imagine a $15/hr minimum wage crippling small business. I wouldn't hire employees, just contract 1099's or task rabbits.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

@15 an hour I replace all workers with machines and hire a guy who repairs the machines @ 15/hour.

This will happen no matter what. Millennials prefer this, we're already seeing ipads doing orders.

 

[WilliamM2]

Why shouldn't we raise the minimum wage? A higher increase means people will spend more, and this is great for our economy.

Instead, we have a few people on the top who are getting extremely wealthy off the backs of the poor and middle class.

If we raise the minimum wage to $15, will the people currently making $15.00- $20 an hour get a raise? Of course not. Do you think their buying power will go up or down?

And as prices rise, the ones who now get $15 will have the same buying power they had before. So overall, less spending, no improvement to the economy.

 

[Joepublic2]

If we raise the minimum wage to $15, will the people currently making $15.00- $20 an hour get a raise? Of course not. Do you think their buying power will go up or down?

And as prices rise, the ones who now get $15 will have the same buying power they had before. So overall, less spending, no improvement to the economy.

While the minimum wage does have a slight upward pressure on wages overall most people do earn more than the bare minimum. I personally hired at a little bit more than minimum wage because even with mostly young kids higher wages than the competition attract better people. The point being, raising minimum wage isn't going to cause much inflation, because most people make more than the minimum to begin with. I've never made minimum wage, even when I was 16 and in high school.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last year 1.566 million hourly workers earned the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour; nearly two million more earned less than that because they fell under one of several exemptions (tipped employees, full-time students, certain disabled workers and others), for a total of 3.55 million hourly workers at or below the federal minimum.

Also, while it might make some industries/jobs unprofitable which is a bad thing when looked at superficially, you could just as easily argue that it would also free up people from work that was only borderline beneficial to society as a whole and frees up man hours for more economically useful work. I can pay some guy to dig holes for 5$ an hour, but society as a whole would be more productive if they were say assembling backhoes that did 100x the mechanical work that they did in 1/100th the time for $10 an hour.

 

[Joepublic2]

I wouldn't hire employees, just contract 1099's or task rabbits.

Love task rabbit, nothing beats getting paid 30 bux to pick up groceries for an old lady when I'd be sitting around playing video games or something waiting for a job. Lets me figure out where stuff is in local groceries too so it also saves me time in the long run.

 

[Zaap]

While the minimum wage does have a slight upward pressure on wages overall most people do earn more than the bare minimum. I personally hired at a little bit more than minimum wage because even with mostly young kids higher wages than the competition attract better people. The point being, raising minimum wage isn't going to cause much inflation, because most people make more than the minimum to begin with. I've never made minimum wage, even when I was 16 and in high school.

I think you missed the larger point. If the minimum wage were to jump up to $15- everyone currently making $15 is now going to be making minimum wage. Those people won't automatically get a raise to the same level above minimum that they were previously making.

Jacking around a dollar figure without increasing spending power to go with it, doesn't really do any good. It's the kind of thing economically illiterate countries do- and eventually you can wallpaper your hut with the worthless currency.

Personally I'm not opposed to a reasonable increase in the minimum wage- but people demanding it to be doubled and claiming there would be no economic consequence to that, are just full of shit. It most definitely would ripple through the economy in all sorts of negative ways, the most obvious being all the new minimum or barely above minimum wage earners you'd create in all those previously making the new amount. With a minor increase that effect won't be that dramatic- doubling the minimum and it'd be very dramatic.

 

[Joepublic2]

I think you missed the larger point. If the minimum wage were to jump up to $15- everyone currently making $15 is now going to be making minimum wage. Those people won't automatically get a raise to the same level above minimum that they were previously making.

Jacking around a dollar figure without increasing spending power to go with it, doesn't really do any good. It's the kind of thing economically illiterate countries do- and eventually you can wallpaper your hut with the worthless currency.

Personally I'm not opposed to a reasonable increase in the minimum wage- but people demanding it to be doubled and claiming there would be no economic consequence to that, are just full of shit. It most definitely would ripple through the economy in all sorts of negative ways, the most obvious being all the new minimum or barely above minimum wage earners you'd create in all those previously making the new amount. With a minor increase that effect won't be that dramatic- doubling the minimum and it'd be very dramatic.

Well, if they're smart they're willing to accept less than 15$/hr that's just their initial position. I doubt they expect 15$/hr in a field with as thin of margins as fast food (if they do they drank the kool-aid). Historically in the US increases in the minimum wage haven't been associated with bubbles of increased inflation although I'm less sure about their effect on employment because that's harder to track and I don't think those statistics are as robust; I know a bunch of people that work under the table in one way or another for example. Modern industrialized societies of the scale that we're currently living in have a tendency to centralize wealth/power so some minor judicial wrangling to slow that trend isn't a bad thing in my opinion.

 

[Zaap]

Well, if they're smart they're willing to accept less than 15$/hr that's just their initial position. I doubt they expect 15$/hr in a field with as thin of margins as fast food (if they do they drank the kool-aid).

First off, this isn't any grass roots movement or anything- all of this bullshit is being pushed by labor unions. The fast food workers are as usual, just their pawns. The unions don't give a shit about the living conditions or spending power of fast food workers- they want another highly lucrative base of dues.

They've been pushing that $15 an hour figure forever- of course it isn't going to happen. Market forces in reality simply won't stand for $15 worth of burger flipping being the equivalent of $15 worth of more specialized skilled labor. Something WILL give in that situation- and mostly to the greater detriment of the unskilled- until a logical rebalancing occurs.

I'm personally in favor of a reasonable raise in the minimum, but the saddest thing, because we have our own economic illiterates in charge (or worse, they WANT the effects of actually making everyone poorer while pretending to do the opposite because it increases their power base) no effort will be made to do what's actually important- increase spending power.

If I enact a policy that makes every dollar you currently have worth more- then no effort has to be made to grant you more dollars to feel the benefit- the positive effect is immediate.

But just jerking around arbitrary dollar figures is feel-good bullshit- even when it accomplishes the exact opposite effect. Because most people are just programmed to feel "a larger dollar amount is always better." But if I can buy the same thing with $5 as I can with $7, I'm better off with the $5 with higher spending power than $7 with less. An employer is more likely to have and pay it (and above), and I've already got more sets of $5 in my bank account, than I do sets of $7.

 

[mikegg]

Why shouldn't we raise the minimum wage? A higher increase means people will spend more, and this is great for our economy.

Instead, we have a few people on the top who are getting extremely wealthy off the backs of the poor and middle class.

I really don't think that's how economics works. If you increase minimum wage to $15/hr, then about about those skilled laborers making $17/hr? Do they get a raise too or are they just going to make $2 more than some high school dropout standing at a McDonald?

So if you also increase salary of skilled laborers making $17/hr, then everything will get more expensive because businesses have to adjust to higher wages and people with more money.

Thus, in the end, purchasing power will end up being the same thing!!!!

What we really need is to get rid of the Federal Reserve, stop giving the ultra wealthy tax breaks, stop bailing banks out, etc.

 

[mikegg]

If we raise the minimum wage to $15, will the people currently making $15.00- $20 an hour get a raise? Of course not. Do you think their buying power will go up or down?

And as prices rise, the ones who now get $15 will have the same buying power they had before. So overall, less spending, no improvement to the economy.

I don't support raising minimum wage to $15 but yes, those already making $15 - $20 an hour will get a raise because of inflation. It won't be an immediate raise but they will slowly increase.

It will trickle all the way up to CEO pay but prices of goods and services will just increase along.

Thus, purchasing power ends up about the same.

 

[shortylickens]

they get replaced by illegals, end game.

 

[boomerang]

they get replaced by illegals, end game.

Exactly

 

[michal1980]

And these strikes accomplished what? It's like the 99% protests a lot of hot air

 

[waggy]

they get replaced by illegals, end game.

have you walked into a fast food joint lately? i swear it's already staffed by 80% illegals.

 

[Genx87]

have you walked into a fast food joint lately? i swear it's already staffed by 80% illegals.

A few years ago the state of MN raided Chipotle because of illegal workers. I went the next day not realizing it happened. The place was full of white people that couldn't make a taco in under 5 minutes to save their life nor work the cash registers. The guy working the cash register finally gave up and let me have the meal for free lol.

 

[nehalem256]

have you walked into a fast food joint lately? i swear it's already staffed by 80% illegals.

they get replaced by illegals, end game.

From the article:

Among the Miami demonstrators was Selmira Wilson, who said through a translator that it was nearly impossible to care for her three children with the low wages she earned from McDonald's.

:hmm:

 

[Newell Steamer]

Silly proletarians,.. they think they are entitled to some of those profits! I mean, it's like they think they are responsible in some way for the success of these companies!!!

 

[Orignal Earl]

I suppose if I only had a couple of seconds for lunch I might grab something from the burger machine
But if I had a half hour or so, I'd head to Bob's Burgers
That's a quality burger put together with love and care at a price I can afford
He's got those adorable kids working for him too so make sure and lay a huge tip on them

 

[nehalem256]

I suppose if I only had a couple of seconds for lunch I might grab something from the burger machine
But if I had a half hour or so, I'd head to Bob's Burgers
That's a quality burger put together with love and care at a price I can afford
He's got those adorable kids working for him too so make sure and lay a huge tip on them

Sounds like someone supports child labor

 

[realibrad]

Just so things are clear...

Raising the minimum wage does not cause net inflation. Most people think that raising the minimum wage just means more money, but it does not.

What raising the minimum wage does do is increase things like unemployment. You can only hire someone who makes you more money per hour than they cost. It would be a very bad idea to pay someone $15/hr that only brings in $14.99/hr or below. So any position that does not bring the company $15/hr will simply not be filled, which means fewer jobs overall.

While you may make a few who keep their jobs better off, its at the expense of other jobs. If you are worth $15/hr, you are likely already making that. So instead of spreading the wealth, all you do is consolidate it.

 

[rudder]

When the value of the hour of work they provide is equal to $15/hour then they should get $15/hour. These people are DROPPING FRIES INTO OIL. How is this worth $15/hour?

These idiots need to realize these are small businesses not mega corporations. There are more than 14,000 Mcdonalds in the U.S. and 30,000 all over the world. McDonalds only owns about 3,000 of these outright. The rest are are small businesses who pay franchise fees to McDonalds.