Posted on 02/12/2015 12:54:01 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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How long could you go without a job?
You’re a “working stiff” just like Billy Joel declared his wife and himself to be.
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:)
Your distinction is hollow because the author is making real points about the politics of the two groups, which are distinct. You gloss over them when you say that "everyone works."
Yes, everyone works, but they work differently, in different ways, for different motives, which is what drives the different politics that the parties are vying for.
The "middle class" are salaried workers, and the "working class" are the wage earners.
I already indicated above that salaried workers more personally identify with their employing companies, which the author confirmed.
Wage earners get paid by the hour, and often don't get paid when they take vacations. Consequently, they take less vacation. Salaried workers get several weeks of vacation each year as a part of their benefits packages.
Wage earners are often trade workers. They can find work almost anywhere. Salaried worker are often office workers who specialize in a profession. They can only work where the businesses are. They may be less mobile than wage earners.
Salaried workers do not get paid for overtime. The "workday" is more fluid for them. Wage earners often clock in and out, and hours are important to them. Especially time and a half and double-time hours.
These characteristics of the two working groups have different political appeals, which the author was trying to point out. Those differences are lost when one lumps them all together as "working people."
-PJ
How long could you go without a job?
You’re a “working stiff” just like Billy Joel declared his wife and himself to be.
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LOL. Now who’s sensitive? LOL! What a completely bogus statement based on apparent conjecture.
You don’t know me, my background and work history, nor do you know all about my current activities. You are in fact, uninformed regarding most of my situation.
Nor is such relevant to the only the point that I made - Words matter, and the article used a poor choice of words.
This comment you just made, is simply a distraction from the issue and turns a discussion into a bit of a personal jab. A tactic often used when the merits of the discussion aren’t going well, a little anger rises, or one wants to indulge in a little verbal sparring.
What you have written has caused me to wonder something.
With all of the discussion about who is full-time vs who is part-time,
and 40 hour work weeks vs 30 hour work weeks and all of that.
How does the fedgov count salaried employees,
since their pay is not linked to a # of hours?
The reality is that it's the white, private-sector middle, working, and upper class against all those who are given money, privilege, and benefits by the government.
Absolutely correct! And that’s the truth!
< 50 FTE, 50 to 99 FTE, 100+ FTE.
Most salaried people are in the 100+ group, which doesn't get exemptions like the smaller businesses do.
-PJ
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LOL!!!
You’re as fake as Bill Murray, and as puffed up as Chuck Schumer.
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Pfft. Again with the personal attacks and avoiding the issue. LOL
I am well aware of the distinctions between Exempt(what you call salaried)employees and Non-exempt (what you call hourly)employees.
They both work, and often side by side. Calling one group the working group as if the other doesn’t work is not at all accurate. To clearly indicate the distinctions you are talking about, one should use the correct terms - Exempt and Non-exempt.
-PJ
Bingo - I think I finally got through to you. That’s the exact thing I have tried to tell you from the first response.
I have an opinion on the merits of the article, and no desire to discuss it one way or the other. I simply wanted to note my objection the term used.
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