Fast-food workers, "We Are Worth More!"

[Dezrow]

Well i would completely disagree with that. People who work hard in entry level jobs can definitely make more money. I have a friend making $15,who works full time in retail stocking/ordering because he worked hard and got promoted.

To be clear. That is not my opinion. I was stating that the user [Mall Security] has that opinion.

[Endus]

Well, I live in Canada, its' free.

Well here in Canada, you can live with your mcdonald job... if you work 40 hours / week of course.

The floor is at 10 or 10.50$ and the gov help the poorest, and we pay LOT of taxe, at least 55% of our salary and another 15% when we buy something, and we have lot of luxury taxe everywhere.

You're Canadian, so you should know that Canada basically just did this. Minimum wage in many provinces was just over $5/hour or so, back when I graduated high school in the '90s. A couple campaigns to raise the minimum wage later, and we have the current $10+/hour across Canada, today. The bulk of those increases took place between 2005 and 2011, for the most part (some variation by province).

We basically did double our minimum wages, and it hasn't crashed our economy or caused massive inflation or any of that other utter nonsense people are spewing.

And you're Canadian. You should know this. It's recent history.


Also, Canadians don't have a 55% tax burden. The highest provincial tax burden is Nova Scotia, at 21% for incomes over $150k/year. The highest federal tax bracket is 29%, for over $136k/year. So once you pass $150k, the income you're making as a Nova Scotian would be taxed at about 50%, and that's the peak. And the income under that mark is all progressively taxed at the lower brackets it qualifies for; your first $136k/year isn't taxed at that 29% number.

The effective tax rate for Canadians making $100k is right around 30%; http://static2.businessinsider.com/i...ing%20100k.jpg Our tax burden isn't much higher than an American's, really.

[taheen74]

In the area I live in, you basically have two choices when it comes to a job: factory work or a minimum wage job. That's it.

To get into a lot of the factories around here, you generally have to go through a temporary service. Half the time, the temp services don't even call you and when you yourself call, it's usually "We don't have anything right now" (doesn't stop them from advertizing that they have jobs though). So some of these people's fallback is a minimum wage job.

Also, a college education is not an automatic guarantee that you will find a better job. I know plenty of people in the factory/minimum wage jobs that do have college degrees but can't find work in that field.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Also let's keep in mind the very same people throwing value judgments concerning some poor SOB working at McDonalds, please keep in mind these are the same people that have no truck selling the middle class and people who do have degrees and jobs that are economically viable a shit sandwich either.



I mean honestly, Know enough people that bust their ass 50 or 60 work week, and have no ideas who they need to give a sexual favor to, in order to be compensated for all the work they did do in applying themselves. So it isn't just some slob at McDonald's.



There is always somebody willing to sell that bullshit myth and pipedream about if you just work hard buy this book etcs, that even IF you do apply yourself and become middle class, you will likely be burned out from stressed, broke, have kids who hate you and grew up with the wrong values, and due to the debt you owe, You will be lucky to enjoy your jello as you yell at the kids to stay off your lawn.

[Tradewind]

You're Canadian, so you should know that Canada basically just did this. Minimum wage in many provinces was just over $5/hour or so, back when I graduated high school in the '90s. A couple campaigns to raise the minimum wage later, and we have the current $10+/hour across Canada, today. The bulk of those increases took place between 2005 and 2011, for the most part (some variation by province).

We basically did double our minimum wages, and it hasn't crashed our economy or caused massive inflation or any of that other utter nonsense people are spewing.

And you're Canadian. You should know this. It's recent history.


Also, Canadians don't have a 55% tax burden. The highest provincial tax burden is Nova Scotia, at 21% for incomes over $150k/year. The highest federal tax bracket is 29%, for over $136k/year. So once you pass $150k, the income you're making as a Nova Scotian would be taxed at about 50%, and that's the peak. And the income under that mark is all progressively taxed at the lower brackets it qualifies for; your first $136k/year isn't taxed at that 29% number.

The effective tax rate for Canadians making $100k is right around 30%; http://static2.businessinsider.com/i...ing%20100k.jpg Our tax burden isn't much higher than an American's, really.

$9.95 here in AB :P But you'd be hard pressed to find places actually paying that little. Too much competition.

[ItachiZaku]

And you're Canadian. You should know this. It's recent history.

She's cute (presumably), so I give her a pass.

Canada is cold though, else i'd be on my Rez getting free education.

[Endus]

If you raise the min wage to $15, people making 10-15 currently will most definitely demand more money. It will have a "snowball" effect.

As long as one job is harder, or more stressful difficult ect, than another job, people wil always expect to make more money, never going to change.

Nobody is arguing for the elimination of wage inequality, or that skilled positions shouldn't be paid more.

Yes, those other people will demand more money, too. This is the goal. To raise wages. It isn't just about those making exactly minimum wage. It's about raising the wage floor that the wage distribution is based off of. Of course that will echo up the wage ladder. That's intended, and desirable.

[Khoranth]

People making 10 will obviously then be making minimum wage. If people making 15 go to 16 its not going to turn the economy upside-down. Minimum wage workers are 5% of the population.

The fact is, inflation has ALREADY outpaced their earning potential long ago. The problem you're worried about has long since passed.

Perhaps the problem won't be as bad as i have suggested, but i still think that the bottom is the bottom.

And i still do not understand why people think lower wage, entry level jobs should not exist. There are millions of workers not supporting themselves/families. What is wrong with these workers filling out entry level jobs? Most of these workers are young anways and entry level is perfect for them.

[Doctor Amadeus]

You know, now that you mention it... that's for damn true. Rachel and Gertrude, the ugly stick kids got lost in the woods for 6 weeks and no one mentioned it. Junior Prom Queen 4th runner up had craps and was in the bathroom for 4 minutes, the National Guard was notified.

HAHAHA, yeah guess if ugly people really cared about being found they wouldn't have gone missing!

I am Mall Security, and I approve this Ad!

[Endus]

$9.95 here in AB :P But you'd be hard pressed to find places actually paying that little. Too much competition.

Even AB is bumping it to $10.20/hour in September, so I didn't consider the next month or so to be THAT critical. http://srv116.services.gc.ca/dimt-wi...lang=eng&dec=5

- - - Updated - - -

Perhaps the problem won't be as bad as i have suggested, but i still think that the bottom is the bottom.

And i still do not understand why people think lower wage, entry level jobs should not exist. There are millions of workers not supporting themselves/families. What is wrong with these workers filling out entry level jobs? Most of these workers are young anways and entry level is perfect for them.

Nobody is arguing that those jobs shouldn't exist.

We're arguing that they should be paid a living wage at a minimum.

[Khoranth]

You've never been poor have you?

Yes i have, then i joined the Army, got the Gibill and went to college.

[Tradewind]

Even AB is bumping it to $10.20/hour in September, so I didn't consider the next month or so to be THAT critical. http://srv116.services.gc.ca/dimt-wi...lang=eng&dec=5

Well again most places aren't paying min wage because there's so much competition for that kind of labour here, so whatever they set it to is mostly moot.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Yes i have, then i joined the Army, got the Gibill and went to college.

And what if the Army wasn't hiring?

[Tydrane]

Perhaps shareholders was a poor example.

How about Bob from head office instead.

My point was the the shop floor workers generate a lot of income for the company. As part of a successful company they should be part of that success. Not shat on from a great height so other people can get the money that the staff on the floor are putting into the tills.

Maybe, if you're talking about a company that doesn't operate by licensing franchises. I think that makes the analogy you made a little unequal; the structure is quite different.

[Aerion1]

Because people getting better jobs really helps, If everyone got a better job, Nobody would be there to put up with the bullshit fast food joints get away with. The way i see it, People defending against the raise are 1 of 3 people

1. Never worked Fast food in there life and think its an easy job. Which means anything they say is invalid because they don't know what they are talking about.
2. They are lying about working fast food just to troll for whatever twisted reason.
3. Worked at a fast food joint that was legit and did stuff right and showed workers understanding and respect which is super rare IMO and i have never seen it after working in 3 restaurants.

Ive worked factory and fast food. Airtect for 5 years and Wendy's for 7. At Wendy's i worked shitty hours, Bitched at almost all of my shifts ( for sometimes doing the right thing AKA, not serving a cheeseburger that fell on the floor. I got written up and yelled at because i tossed it ) Most of the time we was understaffed then got yelled at for "being slow" all that for an awesome 7.75$ an hour.

What did a do at Airtect? Sit on my ass for 9 hours and put 3 pins into some small part then twist this wrap around it while talking and having a laugh with the guys working beside me, My pay for that job? $16.50....Yeah...

What will happen to factory workers? If you all think Fast food is that easy go for it. Even if the wage was boosted to 15$ i bet 80% wouldn't last the 1st week. the rest maybe a month. Get in there and enjoy hearing about how much they demand out of you for minimum wage. You would join the crowd in an instant.

Amen man. Some of the folks here are saying that working a 40 hour job shouldn't be enough to support yourself if it's entry level. I just don't understand how any intelligent person could believe that garbage? People should be able to live and support themselves. A doctor and a McDonald's worker are still human beings. And all human beings deserve to be treated with respect and they certainly have the right to live in a dignified manner. What you folks are spewing is that the poor should be kept poor, and for what. To feed your ego? Also, basic economics here. If 80 percent of folks want bread but only 60 percent can afford it, than that's a loss. If you make bread accessible to 80 percent of the people, or 100 percent rather then that's more people buying it which then stimulates the bread industry. Make sense? (breads just an example.)

[Khoranth]

Nobody is arguing that those jobs shouldn't exist.

We're arguing that they should be paid a living wage at a minimum.

I do not see any reason kids, seniors, ect need to make a livable wage, doing entry level work. I think adults should be improving, and getting out of entry level work

I will just agree to disagree and be done.

[Deleted]

Yes i have, then i joined the Army, got the Gibill and went to college.

But... How are the teenagers and geriatrics, who are now flipping your burgers, supposed to enlist? Your logic fails.

I do not see any reason kids, seniors, ect need to make a livable wage, doing entry level work. I think adults should be improving, and getting out of entry level work

I will just agree to disagree and be done.

I think we can all agree that your premise is completely ridiculous. How exactly would you get only "kids, seniors, etc" to work for McDonalds, and "adults" to "improve" themselves? Also, what should those "adults" be living on, while they're "improving"? Welfare? You're saying it's better to hand out welfare, than it is to demand overly inflated super rich companies pay a decent wage to their employees?

I think it must be some cultural thing, this blind unflinching defense of the super rich CEOs and shareholders, and their million dollar cocaine and prostitute bonuses, because I sure as hell don't get it.

[Khoranth]

And what if the Army wasn't hiring?

Then i would do what my brother and sister did, work full time while going to college. Either way, we refused to be stuck.

- - - Updated - - -

But... How are the teenagers and geriatrics, who are now flipping your burgers, supposed to enlist? Your logic fails.

Senseless post. I was responding to something else. Not the topic under discussion.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I do not see any reason kids, seniors, ect need to make a livable wage, doing entry level work. I think adults should be improving, and getting out of entry level work

I will just agree to disagree and be done.

Why do people say Agree to Disagree, how is it not one or the other. I mean you said you joined the Army, I asked what if they weren't hiring, since then I wondered well what if they could Replace you with a Drone.

[Blur4stuff]

I do not see any reason kids, seniors, ect need to make a livable wage, doing entry level work. I think adults should be improving, and getting out of entry level work

I will just agree to disagree and be done.

there aren't enough working teenagers and seniors to fill all low wage jobs. millions of regular adults have to fill them. and, of course, a senior shouldn't have to work a low wage job anyways unless it happens to be something they love. not because they're forced to work at wal-mart to cover the cost of their pills.

telling them to improve isn't a solution because another adult will take their place and we're right back where we started.