Minimum Wage

[Noomi]

I worked miimi wage 3 times, got fired from then because in one intense the place folded because of the minimum wage hike, two other times they cut hours and I was the one let go. This was during the carter administration when there were several minimum wage hikes. and I was a lousy employee back then

Imagine paying someone $15/hr just to say "Do you want cheese on that?" And they don't even have to figure out how to make correct change cuz the register does it for them.

I get $18 an hour and its a lot more than just asking a few questions, believe me.

 

[Two Thumbs]

at 14 I helped build a DQ for $30/day cash. Got hired on for Il state min, told the owner that was illegal, he didn't agree, quit got a cook job at KFC for $2.35 (Fed min), reported DQ owner got back pay.

Put in ~ 36 hours at DQ so I got a 40 hour job at the factory for $5.20 worked both for 2 months so I could train a replacement, became a conservative b/c I noticed how little more I was actually taking home while people that didn't worked lived in houses.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I've served tables at a higher end restaurant that paid minimum wage plus tips, and currently i work as CNA shift lead in women's services at a hospital, and i make $9.10 an hour.

I think minimum wage has short term benefits but long term negative affects. Long term: companies will cut jobs and scale back services to save money, or prices will rise ultimately leading to inflation. Therefore, I am torn because i don't feel that workers deserve to be exploited, but I also understand that market economics have demonstrated that controlled wages do more harm in the long run. Most people only work low wage jobs through highschool and college. When I graduate next year in May, I will be making $40 to 60,000 a year starting salary as an RN. The same applies to the majority of low income wage earners.

 

[nitroz]

I work retail (my first job) and one year and 4 months later, I'm making $8.90 an hour 4 raises later.
But the hours are meh. I average 20/21 hours a week

 

[editec]

After reading some of the arrogant and condensending responses here it is no wonder that low paid workers spit on your cheeseburgers.

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.

Who makes minimum wage? | Pew Research Center

 

[hangover]

We used to have immigrant workers that did jobs like crop picking for $2.00 an hour, when the minimum wage was $5.00 an hour. The cons got rid of those workers so that farmers had to pay minimum wage to American workers. So now American farmers can't compete with South American farmers, because those farmers pay 50cents an hour, and can charge less than half for their food. And those American workers can't do the job half as good, even getting three times the pay.

But the cons have created a banana republic job market. And they want to destroy the minimum wage, so they can get Americans to work for 50cents an hour.

 

[dreolin]

I've served tables at a higher end restaurant that paid minimum wage plus tips, and currently i work as CNA shift lead in women's services at a hospital, and i make $9.10 an hour.

I think minimum wage has short term benefits but long term negative affects. Long term: companies will cut jobs and scale back services to save money, or prices will rise ultimately leading to inflation. Therefore, I am torn because i don't feel that workers deserve to be exploited, but I also understand that market economics have demonstrated that controlled wages do more harm in the long run. Most people only work low wage jobs through highschool and college. When I graduate next year in May, I will be making $40 to 60,000 a year starting salary as an RN. The same applies to the majority of low income wage earners.

I think you are missing the fair trade/tree trade effects on American wages.

I was in College doing post grad work and needed money so I took a high paid job in a warehouse lifting heavy objects and I igured I could make more there rather than doing research in a lab,,,and I liked lifting heavy objects.

I waas grandfathered in when they cut the wages pretty severely and the amount the company spent on training new employees because of the high turnover became a major problem ot the company and the quality of work went way down and the theft went way up and I ended up spending my time in meetings representing workers and resolving labor and discrimination disputes, a waste of my strong back.

$15/hr is not unreasonable. Wage earners are also consumers and that makes America strong.

 

[dblack]

After reading some of the arrogant and condensending responses here it is no wonder that low paid workers spit on your cheeseburgers.

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.

Who makes minimum wage? | Pew Research Center

I find it interesting how the minimum wage debate, however superficial and pointless it may be in terms of policy, brings out the moralistic differences between the 'get a job' conservatives and the 'bleeding heart' liberals. Both sides seem preoccupied with what people 'deserve'. I guess I've just never seen wages in those terms. Wages reflect how valuable a given job is to society. Not much more to it than that.

 

[dreolin]

I had a job as a summer camp counselor when I was 14 the pay was garbage and I have opened up my first tax/bookkeeping type business to augment lousy pay. Turned out to be the best thing I have ever done in my life. I did books for gas stations and mom-and-pop stores and I got other clients from the bars they were not the most responsible people in the world. That experience taught me a great many things including perseverance, thinking outside the box and having a positive attitude looking towards success.

Not everyone had your good fortune, skills, or ambition. There are some not so intelligent people out there and they, and more importantly, their kids, deserve the simple comforts and opportunities that a fair waged job provides. Poverty produces all kinds of social ills that you and I are going to pay for one way or another.

I made very good money too but when I watch my child and his friends struggling as they exercise their independence and make their way in the world it breaks my heart. They have their pride and deserve it.

 

[Connery]

I had a job as a summer camp counselor when I was 14 the pay was garbage and I have opened up my first tax/bookkeeping type business to augment lousy pay. Turned out to be the best thing I have ever done in my life. I did books for gas stations and mom-and-pop stores and I got other clients from the bars they were not the most responsible people in the world. That experience taught me a great many things including perseverance, thinking outside the box and having a positive attitude looking towards success.

Not everyone had your good fortune, skills, or ambition. There are some not so intelligent people out there and they, and more importantly, their kids, deserve the simple comforts and opportunities that a fair waged job provides. Poverty produces all kinds of social ills that you and I are going to pay for one way or another.

I made very good money too but when I watch my child and his friends struggling as they exercise their independence and make their way in the world it breaks my heart. They have their pride and deserve it.

I did not say I made "good money", I said I developed principles.

 

[dreolin]

We used to have immigrant workers that did jobs like crop picking for $2.00 an hour, when the minimum wage was $5.00 an hour. The cons got rid of those workers so that farmers had to pay minimum wage to American workers. So now American farmers can't compete with South American farmers, because those farmers pay 50cents an hour, and can charge less than half for their food. And those American workers can't do the job half as good, even getting three times the pay.

But the cons have created a banana republic job market. And they want to destroy the minimum wage, so they can get Americans to work for 50cents an hour.

I was pickin' when I was 11 y.o. and was paid by the pound. Fortunately the law has changed on that but i was working alongside other kids and adults who were supporting families.

I am happy to pay a little extra for my strawberries that are local rather than buy some cheaper produce from who knows where while my neighbor can't make it without the services my tax dollars pay for. People deserve their dignity.

 

[dreolin]

I had a job as a summer camp counselor when I was 14 the pay was garbage and I have opened up my first tax/bookkeeping type business to augment lousy pay. Turned out to be the best thing I have ever done in my life. I did books for gas stations and mom-and-pop stores and I got other clients from the bars they were not the most responsible people in the world. That experience taught me a great many things including perseverance, thinking outside the box and having a positive attitude looking towards success.

Not everyone had your good fortune, skills, or ambition. There are some not so intelligent people out there and they, and more importantly, their kids, deserve the simple comforts and opportunities that a fair waged job provides. Poverty produces all kinds of social ills that you and I are going to pay for one way or another.

I made very good money too but when I watch my child and his friends struggling as they exercise their independence and make their way in the world it breaks my heart. They have their pride and deserve it.

I did not say I made "good money", I said I developed principals.

I wasn't trying to criticize you at all. You did well (I hope) and you are to be complimented and admired. i think we both have similar attributes.

If I misunderstood you or if you misunderstood me, I apologize.

"Good money" is relative.

 

[peach174]

After reading some of the arrogant and condescending responses here it is no wonder that low paid workers spit on your cheeseburgers.

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.

Who makes minimum wage? | Pew Research Center

What you see as arrogance and condescending, the rest see as logic, common sense and moral courage- they did something about their own situation (individual responsibility).

 

[Connery]

Not everyone had your good fortune, skills, or ambition. There are some not so intelligent people out there and they, and more importantly, their kids, deserve the simple comforts and opportunities that a fair waged job provides. Poverty produces all kinds of social ills that you and I are going to pay for one way or another.

I made very good money too but when I watch my child and his friends struggling as they exercise their independence and make their way in the world it breaks my heart. They have their pride and deserve it.

I wasn't trying to

I did not say I made "good money", I said I developed principals.

I wasn't trying to criticize you at all. You did well (I hope) and you are to be complimented and admired. i think we both have similar attributes.

If I misunderstood you or if you misunderstood me, I apologize.

"Good money" is relative.

No offense we are having a discussion .....

 

[Asclepias]

After reading some of the arrogant and condensending responses here it is no wonder that low paid workers spit on your cheeseburgers.

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.

Who makes minimum wage? | Pew Research Center

I find it interesting how the minimum wage debate, however superficial and pointless it may be in terms of policy, brings out the moralistic differences between the 'get a job' conservatives and the 'bleeding heart' liberals. Both sides seem preoccupied with what people 'deserve'. I guess I've just never seen wages in those terms. Wages reflect how valuable a given job is to society. Not much more to it than that.

I tried to convey that very thought to someone a little while ago and got a nasty PM. It amazes me that people don't understand that concept. No one is going to pay you extra because you think you deserve it. They are going to pay you the value you bring to their business.

Another thing is being willing to work for free to gain experience. Internships and donating time can add up to extra $$ when going for a new job.

 

[dreolin]

I did not say I made "good money", I said I developed principals.

I wasn't trying to criticize you at all. You did well (I hope) and you are to be complimented and admired. i think we both have similar attributes.

If I misunderstood you or if you misunderstood me, I apologize.

"Good money" is relative.

No offense we are having a discussion .....

Yes. I accidentally put someting in your post that wasn't there. I corrected it and took the liberty of taking it out of this post.

 

[Asclepias]

I had a job as a summer camp counselor when I was 14 the pay was garbage and I have opened up my first tax/bookkeeping type business to augment lousy pay. Turned out to be the best thing I have ever done in my life. I did books for gas stations and mom-and-pop stores and I got other clients from the bars they were not the most responsible people in the world. That experience taught me a great many things including perseverance, thinking outside the box and having a positive attitude looking towards success.

Not everyone had your good fortune, skills, or ambition. There are some not so intelligent people out there and they, and more importantly, their kids, deserve the simple comforts and opportunities that a fair waged job provides. Poverty produces all kinds of social ills that you and I are going to pay for one way or another.

I made very good money too but when I watch my child and his friends struggling as they exercise their independence and make their way in the world it breaks my heart. They have their pride and deserve it.

I grew up in poverty. Poverty by itself does not produce social ills. Poverty with no upward mobility because of any of the different forms of oppression produce those ills. Struggle is good for you to be perfectly honest. It gives you confidence and builds pride. You should be proud your child is struggling right now. He/she will be better for it later.

 

[dblack]

After reading some of the arrogant and condensending responses here it is no wonder that low paid workers spit on your cheeseburgers.



Who makes minimum wage? | Pew Research Center

I find it interesting how the minimum wage debate, however superficial and pointless it may be in terms of policy, brings out the moralistic differences between the 'get a job' conservatives and the 'bleeding heart' liberals. Both sides seem preoccupied with what people 'deserve'. I guess I've just never seen wages in those terms. Wages reflect how valuable a given job is to society. Not much more to it than that.

I tried to convey that very thought to someone a little while ago and got a nasty PM. It amazes me that people don't understand that concept. No one is going to pay you extra because you think you deserve it. They are going to pay you the value you bring to their business.

Another thing is being willing to work for free to gain experience. Internships and donating time can add up to extra $$ when going for a new job.

Yeah. Most people just seem to want to argue about how much people 'should' get paid for a certain job. Kinda weird really.

 

[Katzndogz]

If you really want less of something, raise the cost of providing that something.

 

[Pop23]

First was lawn mowing then took a job at 15 as a dishwasher which was horrible. Went on to fast food place before hitting 16. By the time I graduated high school they had me in management training.

Don't remember the wage, but I know I got steady wage increases and bonuses for working crappy shifts that others wouldn't. Was enough to buy and maintain a car, clothes and a girlfriend.