Fast Food Workers Strikes = Win for better health

spinnerdell

Job snobbery- alive and well.

seltzermint555

Job snobbery- alive and well.

Agreed.

I suppose some of my own comments could even come across that way here because I mentioned that I worked retail in college, or worked part-time retail in addition to full-time office jobs. But I definitely didn't mean it in a bad way.

Honestly I am getting out of this thread after this post because all of the people so insistent on *EVERYONE* needing to "work their way up in life" are really making me upset and angry. I think that attitude is just disgusting. A man or woman who is working full-time at a fast food restaurant or any other low wage/min. wage job is not freaking REQUIRED to go out and get a degree and work their way up some ladder to appease people with their holier than thou attitudes. It's one thing to expect to be able to buy a McMansion and drive a new car...if you want that, work for it. But I feel like even though for MY area $15 would be a super high minimum wage, whatever the wage is should make it possible to pay for a roof over your head, food to eat, and utilities.

What the everliving UGH...I can't even read this junk anymore.

Tigg_er

I'm not reading through 10 pages of this garbage, but when you say these people don't deserve a wage increase what you're really saying is, "The person who works a minimum wage job doesn't deserve a home, a family, food on their table, or clothes on their back."

You think just because it's "unskilled" labor means that these people don't deserve to live the same life that you get to enjoy? With a roof over their head and food in their stomachs?

The attitudes of some of the people commenting make me absolutely sick.

Take a step back and realize that some people are working three jobs just to enjoy the things that you take for granted.

No what I'm really saying is the minimum wage and entry level positions are designed to give people a chance to break into the job market and gain skills.


I take nothing for granted...I have worked my way up in life
Everyone can not everyone will

I take nothing for granted...

^^This I don't take anything for granted, and I dont ask anybody for anything I did not earn.

Daiako

*Breaks out google notes to make a bunch of people as entitled jerks*


Threads like this are sooo handy.

Tigg_er

*Breaks out google notes to make a bunch of people as entitled jerks*


Threads like this are sooo handy.

?

Fit_Jesus

There's a documentary called 'Inequality for all' made by Bill Clinton's economic advisor you could watch on Netflix that basically talks about the importance of raising the minimum wage and is probably where this idea for the strike started since it mentions raising the min. wage to $15 in the film.

F00LofaT00K

I'm not really following your logic here, sorry.

Yeah me either. All the company has to do is fire those people who refuse to go to work and hire more.

It's not the fast food industry's fault that people are obese. No one is forcing you to eat it 24/7.

I'm also confused. I fit fast food into my diet on occasion and I'm a very healthy person. If there was no strike, I would continue to do the same. There are plenty of people who need jobs and will be willing to fill the slots of those who are on strike. Without a union or something, the workers are simply breaking their hire contract by not showing up when scheduled. The employer is legally allowed to fire them and hire a new staff. So. . . even if this would cause a change in the health of the public (which I insist the obese would continue to overeat without fast food so it won't matter) it won't happen anyway. . . because new employees.

NH_1970

Again, these jobs are UNSKILLED labor. They get paid like it. The company has no obligation to pay more for UNSKILLED labor.

Customer service is a skill, which people who are working minimum wage do. I've seen relatives be totally rude to cashiers or retail clerks and waitresses and I call them on it. In rural areas even finding a job regardless of what it pays it is an amazing thing.
Also what I have learned is that people who are insecure will bash the living hell out of anyone living in poverty. How about a little compassion?

Also you're right companies don't have to pay any specific rate for any specific kind of labor skilled or unskilled. Seriously if every business owner in the USA decided to pay federal minimum wage, unless their states had laws against it, not a whole lot you could do on hire about it. Oh but unions and pickets etc. could happen if an unfair wage is being paid...

Here's info on federal minimum wage and what states go by that and what ones do not. http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm

So gross income for 40 hours a week is $1255.70 Pay rent around here for a single bedroom no utilities it's about $650.00 and that's if you can find a basic apartment. Then figure in electricity $50. Then figure in food/shampoo/toilet paper household needed odds and ends for the entire month $325.00 Gas to get too and from your job weekly for a month $120.00 = 1145.00

Add on having to pay for doing laundry, having a phone. And this would be for a single person. Now figure out if this person wants to go to college, to get a degree in something they might prefer to do, like business management. College application costs, gas to and from college in my rural area, the nearest one is about 50 miles away. Oh but also remember I was quoting gross pay, not after taxes, medicare, and SSI.

_Terrapin_

The fact is that the minimum wage has stayed the same, while the purchasing power of the dollar has gone down. See the chart in the link below which compares what the minimum wage was at various times at "current level" dollars:

http://www.dol.gov/minwage/minwage-gdp-history.htm

The cost of living has already increased incredibly since 2008 -- housing, food, fuel, you name it, while wages have remained stagnant. Those who argue that prices will have to go way up again are ignoring the fact that prices have already gone way up, and not because companies are paying workers more. If one sticks to the argument that if wages rise, prices will rise, so we shouldn'[t raise wages, then we would never raise wages. Why don't we just pay our workers what they pay in Bangladesh -- that will keep the price of everything low?

By the way, in Mass., many of my associates who were small business owners actually paid above minimum wage because they had an interest in keeping their employees and insuring the same level of continuity and service to their customers. Those fighting the minimum wage -- big corporations making huge profits who see employees as cogs in the wheel. There are also some companies like GAP and Costco that have gone public in their commitment to pay their employees above minimum wage. Gee, I just bought a brand new workout outfit at GAP with my Rewards -- $26.00 -- it didn't exactly break the bank.

It's possible to pay a fair wage and make a profit. However, some companies decide that there's never enough profit.

COLA since 2008 has not "already increased incredibly". CPI in 2009 was negative, and on average from 2009 through 2013 it is a little more then 1.5% per annum. Hardly 'increased incredibly'. You are going to see a very slow and steady climb out of the real estate valuations in the US for many years. You can thank Dodd-Frank and the government for some of it(government over reach). The greatest increases, personally, are college costs(demand increase) and prescription drugs. They are both closer to double digit increases then food, fuel, and housing.

And since corporations like Home Depot, Costco, and GAP(the few you have mentioned) are paying a better wage then people at McDonald's and Walmart can apply for those jobs if they choose to. The economy is what you make of it; if you want a job tied to minimum wage working for a large corporation and be eligible for federal assistance stay at those jobs. If you want more, apply for the jobs when they are available at the above referenced companies.

randomtai

Reading all the comments it's funny to see how someone can be labeled an elitist just because they feel people should work hard to earn the things they get as opposed to having government intervention to make it so that everyone is on part with each other. Saying that we should give fast food workers 15 dollars is basically devaluing other people who worked hard to earn their wage. But who care about us right? Because we don't live in poverty.

This whole thread is funny... I love watching people get their panties in a wad when the poor try to make better for themselves.

smittybuilt19

So if I'm making just over $15 an hour to do EMS here in NYC, one of the places workers are demonstrating, and they get the $15 an hour salary, do I get to turn around and say that now I have to get paid much more because my job is a little harder and killed labor?

No...you're an elitist!

I really don't understand the thinking behind all of this. I'm in a similar boat. I hope to be making $15/hr within the next year. I worked for minimum wage since 2003, graduated HS, went to community college to study electronics then biomedical equipment, graduated from both programs, both of which were paid for with student loans and income based government grants, all the while being a newly wed with a newborn, working what hours I could during the week then working with another company on Sat and Sun mornings and where ends didn't meet I ended up using credit cards. Now I am 35k in debt for 2 associates degrees. Hoping to become a certified biomed tech soon so I may be able to ask for more money. Yet somehow, I'm sure some would call me an elitist, lol. I must now stop playing on the internet and get to work.

smittybuilt19

Reading all the comments it's funny to see how someone can be labeled an elitist just because they feel people should work hard to earn the things they get as opposed to having government intervention to make it so that everyone is on part with each other. Saying that we should give fast food workers 15 dollars is basically devaluing other people who worked hard to earn their wage. But who care about us right? Because we don't live in poverty.

This whole thread is funny... I love watching people get their panties in a wad when the poor try to make better for themselves.

Making themselves better by simply asking for their wages to be doubled? Yea makes sense.

So would it be okay for me to turn around and say that now I should be able to demand $22 an hour to do my EMS job in NY because now the fast food cashier makes as much as me? I mean I think my job is a little more skilled.

Your job only comes down to life and death...no biggie.

smittybuilt19

Anyone know how much the average salary is for a police officer? srs question.

randomtai

Reading all the comments it's funny to see how someone can be labeled an elitist just because they feel people should work hard to earn the things they get as opposed to having government intervention to make it so that everyone is on part with each other. Saying that we should give fast food workers 15 dollars is basically devaluing other people who worked hard to earn their wage. But who care about us right? Because we don't live in poverty.

This whole thread is funny... I love watching people get their panties in a wad when the poor try to make better for themselves.

Making themselves better by simply asking for their wages to be doubled? Yea makes sense.

So would it be okay for me to turn around and say that now I should be able to demand $22 an hour to do my EMS job in NY because now the fast food cashier makes as much as me? I mean I think my job is a little more skilled.

You should be able to demand it... I think EMT's are underpaid as most jobs in this country. That is your right to demand what you want. Which is what the fast food workers are doing.

rosebette

The fact is that the minimum wage has stayed the same, while the purchasing power of the dollar has gone down. See the chart in the link below which compares what the minimum wage was at various times at "current level" dollars:

http://www.dol.gov/minwage/minwage-gdp-history.htm

The cost of living has already increased incredibly since 2008 -- housing, food, fuel, you name it, while wages have remained stagnant. Those who argue that prices will have to go way up again are ignoring the fact that prices have already gone way up, and not because companies are paying workers more. If one sticks to the argument that if wages rise, prices will rise, so we shouldn'[t raise wages, then we would never raise wages. Why don't we just pay our workers what they pay in Bangladesh -- that will keep the price of everything low?

By the way, in Mass., many of my associates who were small business owners actually paid above minimum wage because they had an interest in keeping their employees and insuring the same level of continuity and service to their customers. Those fighting the minimum wage -- big corporations making huge profits who see employees as cogs in the wheel. There are also some companies like GAP and Costco that have gone public in their commitment to pay their employees above minimum wage. Gee, I just bought a brand new workout outfit at GAP with my Rewards -- $26.00 -- it didn't exactly break the bank.

It's possible to pay a fair wage and make a profit. However, some companies decide that there's never enough profit.

COLA since 2008 has not "already increased incredibly". CPI in 2009 was negative, and on average from 2009 through 2013 it is a little more then 1.5% per annum. Hardly 'increased incredibly'. You are going to see a very slow and steady climb out of the real estate valuations in the US for many years. You can thank Dodd-Frank and the government for some of it(government over reach). The greatest increases, personally, are college costs(demand increase) and prescription drugs. They are both closer to double digit increases then food, fuel, and housing.

And since corporations like Home Depot, Costco, and GAP(the few you have mentioned) are paying a better wage then people at McDonald's and Walmart can apply for those jobs if they choose to. The economy is what you make of it; if you want a job tied to minimum wage working for a large corporation and be eligible for federal assistance stay at those jobs. If you want more, apply for the jobs when they are available at the above referenced companies.

There is only 1 GAP, 1 Costco, and 1 Home Depot in a 15 mile radius in my area. Whereas, there are about 10 McDonald's and at least 3 WalMarts. Maybe those Walmart and McDonald's employees are applying for those jobs, but not getting them.

The fact is the cost of living has gone up 1.5% per year, but wages have not kept pace. This is the argument in the film another poster referenced on income inequality, which is by Robert Reich I used his book, "Beyond Outrage" to teach a course on Economic Justice and Social Change. For those who are saying it is unfair for the minimum to go as high as $15 an hour because it would make other jobs worth less, Reich and others feel that all wages need to rise. Wages for other fields have also stagnated, across the board. My spouse is in software engineering/project management (a more "elite" profession) -- he didn't get any pay increase from 2001 until last year. Another friend who worked in construction 20 years ago made $18 an hour. Guess what the pay is for the same position today -- $18 and hour because his son was applying for a similar job. My dad after he retired did substitute teaching in 1987 -- the pay $45 a day. The pay for a sub today -- it went up -- a whole $65 a day for being a in class all day with school children -- what is that, a little over $8.00 an hour? So to the EMTs and other who say their wages should go up to $22 a day, yes, they should.

One of the reasons that middle class skilled workers are angry is that their wages have also remained stagnant. But instead of blaming a system that rewards CEOS and investment income more than income earned through labor (of whatever kind); instead their anger is redirected at low wage workers, unions, and anybody who is on some type of "safety net" program, which more and more working people are.