Posted on 11/27/2012 3:37:48 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
With the fiscal cliff looming, the deficit ballooning and the economy far from booming, the ongoing debate over how best to address the nation’s economic woes remains unsettled. Now, labor leaders and Occupy networks are agitating for what may be the fix: higher wages.
This Black Friday, workers at Walmart and other big box stores in 47 states began unprecedented demonstrations calling for higher wages and benefits. Although widespread and formally organized strikes have yet to be seen, the growing movement is likely to drive a larger national conversation about the way tens of millions of American workers are compensated.
Take Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer. There, the average sales associate makes $8.81/hour. Working full time (Walmart defines that as 34 hours per week), that person takes home less than $16,000 ever year. To put that in perspective, the federal poverty level for a family of four is $22,000; hence the label “poverty wages.”
It’s not just the fault of private employers, who typically pursue the wage floor set by the federal and state governments. The federal minimum wage remains at the low low rate of $7.25, less than it was in 1968 (inflation adjusted). Even working a full 40 hour week, that rate still leaves many Americans below poverty level.
Following his election in 2008, President Obama proposed a gradual increase of the federal minimum wage, to $9.50 an hour by 2011. That never materialized, but the promise remains on the transitional website of the President-elect...
(Excerpt) Read more at nyulocal.com ...
Brett Chamberlin is a Senior in the College of Arts and Science, pursuing a dual major in Politics and Journalism. In his free time, Brett brought back Arrested Development, dissed Sarah Palin, and enjoys trolling religious bigots. On Twitter: @99Brett
So set the minimum wage to $25 and the problem is solved, right? Hey, why not $35? I’m feeling overly generous today. And free health care for all! And real parties - with presents! And pudding. And I want a pony.
That is the most imbecile premise I have seen in at least 10 minutes.
You’re not too far off! Last year, when the occupy movement began, their “platform” consisted of a $20/hr min wage, free health care, free education, forgiveness of all debt, and a host of other goodies.
Seems reminiscent of the Carter years.
With a minimum wage of $25/hr, a BigMac will cost $10. No wonder the Treasury Department is eliminating pennies and nickels.
dude. In the past 10 minutes I had seen posts about sex with human bones, Germany outlawing the pimping of animals for sex, GOP thinking amnesty will help win elections, and the owner of the Palm Beach Post wanting to launch a “conservative” website....
Heard a union story today. A local plant pays union thugs in 'groups'. Say it's a group of five workers. If one worker puts in 60 hours for the week, everyone in the group gets paid for 60 hours even if everyone else worked 40. Neat deal.
IOW, the author wants to flush his credibility down the toilet right away.
As far as wages go, it’s the worth of the dollar more than anything. The average manufacturing job’s wage back in the 50s (average, mind you) was the equivalent of about $14/hr in 2012 dollars. Get excessive micromanaging regulation out of the way, as well as incredibly excessive taxation, and you will be able to attract more jobs back to the USA to the point where the socialistic “benefit” programs can be torpedoed—which should happen ASAP per Benjamin Franklin’s maxim on making the poor uncomfortable in poverty.
Serious question. When wages go up, prices go up to get enough profit to pay the higher wages and invest in growth. Right? So if wages go up and prices go up, how does the increased wage help you get ahead? You have more money to buy things that cost more than ever. Makes no sense.
Also, say you have a burger flipper making 10.00 an hour. And you have the team leader making, 12. 00 an hour and a manager making 16.00 dollars an hour. If you give the first two raises to say, 12.00 and 14.00, don’t you have to give the manager a raise too? Where do the raises stop?
Okay so yeah. I’ve never been to business school or owned a business thats obvious. I’m working on common sense here. I’ve just never understood why the lefties think that higher wages is a cure all. To me it defies common sense.
To the left, and many FReepers I’ve seen (try reading ksen on this thread - what a loser: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2963421/posts), believe the job of a business is to provide employment. Of course, they want a “living wage”.
This is pure crap. It’s a job. Take it or leave it. Last time I checked, WalMart doesn’t go around putting guns to people’s heads and force them to work.
It’s typical left wing BS thinking - a “job” has to provide for your every need. This idea sits well with those who can’t find a good paying job because they are IDIOTS!
Oh we know how that’ll turn out.... Twentieth Century Motors
Trying to use common sense and logic to understand the left is like trying to teach your cat to fix your car
Same thing happens when they raise the “minimum wage”. If it goes from $7 to $7.50 then everyone in between had to be raised. And what happens to the person that started a few years ago at $7 and worked up to $8? The new floor of $7.50 now basically ignores their advancement and so they want $8.50 or more.
The concept of minimum wage is marxist.
Any person who thinks they are worth more than they are being paid can easily prove whether that is true. They can go work for themselves. If they make more than at their job, they were underpaid and can keep going on their own. If they make less, they better go back to their regular job and be grateful that they are overpaid.
I did both at once at times. It worked out.
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