Who is forced to take slave wages? I don't recall any story where a business was kidnapping people and forcing them to work at their company.
If you cant get benefits you have to take what is available. Its governemnt forcing people into slave wage jobs. Its not civilised.
And there are no jobs with benefits that pay higher than minimum wage?
Ray, I understand the point you are trying to make so lets cut to it. There should be a balance of power between capital and labour that meets the needs of both parties. At the moment, and since the 80s I would say, the balance has tilted towards capital and the worker is getting screwed. Pay,holidays,benefits,contracts are all deteriorating and the threat hanging over us all is that our job will go to China or India if we kick off about it.
That is not good for the worker,their community or the wider society we would like to live in.
Well we're not ready for Communism or Socialism. In a free country, this is how things work. If you are an employer, YOU are in charge of paying labor and benefits. If you are a worker, it's up to you to make yourself worth as much as you'd like to make.
Government has no place directing companies as to pay or benefits. It's not what our federal government is for. Just check out our Constitution!
There is an imbalance of power. It's called the Golden Rule: the man with the gold gets to make the rules.
Now if you don't like the rules, you are welcome to start your own company if you like. Let's say you worked for me in my widget factory. I was paying you 9 bucks an hour. Unhappy with that, you start your own widget company. You pay your workers 15 bucks an hour. Now how long do you suppose you'd stay in business? Who is going to buy your overpriced widgets when they can buy mine for half the price?
Rich people are not in charge of this. Corporations are not in charge of this. Government is not in charge of this. So who's in charge? The American consumer, that's who.