i do NOT agree with 15 dollars minimum wage for fast food employees

[Wildtree]

Thats a lovely story. And you tell it with such enthusiasm. But unfortunately this isn't other countries. This is America.

It is absolutely legit to point towards models that are in place and working elsewhere. Your approach here is a little narrow minded.
See, by your logic, the US would have never been able to influence the Western World at all. If everyone would have said "this isn't the US, this is <country X>, no progress with American influence would have ever made.
It's in fact one of the USA's biggest weaknesses, to ignore and disregard others. Common sense tells us, how we benefit the most when we learn from each other...

[Xeones]

Yea, and I don't agree with multimillion dollar executive compensation. The people barely even do anything.

We need to do something, a $15 minimum wage will have a variety of negative consequences if nothing else changes. It won't happen... but there is a serious issue in this country where no money makes it to the people who are actually doing the work, it all goes to the people at the top. So while they are making more money, the people at the bottom make the same which is simply not livable wages. It is impossible for even an individual to maintain a decent life while working a minimum wage job.

Minimum wage jobs can also not be perfomed solely by children. They do require adults for most of the positions.

[Rad1um]

It is absolutely legit to point towards models that are in place and working elsewhere. Your approach here is a little narrow minded.
See, by your logic, the US would have never been able to influence the Western World at all. If everyone would have said "this isn't the US, this is <country X>, no progress with American influence would have ever made.
It's in fact one of the USA's biggest weaknesses, to ignore and disregard others. Common sense tells us, how we benefit the most when we learn from each other...

You probably didn't understand me, let me rephrase "unfortunately this isn't other countries, this is America and our politicians aren't willing to do anything but what benefits their pockets/interests". I think Nixx got it. Maybe, perhaps. Common sense isn't common and if it is, the people are willing to turn a blind eye for personal reasons. Since nobody at the top is gonna change, WE are the ones who have to make that change. And that, if anything, is the message of my post. But not by demanding 15 dollars an hour to a specific group of people, but by changing as a whole.

[GhostShaman]

Thats because they have no value. It isnt a skilled position and is not meant to make full time career out of. I worked my time in fast food where the min wage was 4.25/hour. The bottom line is you can live off of a full time min wage job. It all depends on the location and where you live. If you cant survive on min wage...move to where you can. Nobody wants to work hard and get educated anymore. Liberals are turning this country into a bunch of support me, hand me down, pansies. These guys would rather live in communistic country, rather than a free one.

[Deleted]

Good teachers deserve to be paid more just like any good worker deserves too. Sadly most teachers are mediocre at best. As long I don't see an increase of good teachers I don't want to get them see paid more.

[Cthulhu 2020]

The "I went through hell so everyone else should to because look at me I made it" is never a good argument for ANYTHING, and is used way too much for things like bullying, minimum wage, etc.

The irony is that people who are against people relying upon the government for assistance are also the same people who support businesses that rely upon people living off government assistance to supplement their income.

I saw a piece about a guy who was saying he worked for 2 bucks an hour, so everyone getting paid 7.25 has it great. That kinda shit works on low information voters, but when he was working minimum wage at 2 bucks an hour, not only was that equivalent to today's ~9.50, college was also vastly cheaper, cars were vastly cheaper, food was vastly cheaper (and I'm not just talking about inflation, this is with inflation taken into account, the price of these items has risen faster than inflation).

I don't know about 15 an hour, but raise it up to what it was at its peak and America was at the peak of its financial prosperity, approximately 11-12 an hour.

[Deleted]

i don't why people still think everyone can get one of the "high-end jobs"...
Our world needs Waste-Collectors, Cleaning services, Supermarket Clerks etc. etc. it even "needs" fast-foot employees. so why deny them a livable income? its just so stupid, you cant have everyone working as an Enterpreneur. theres simply no demand for everyone doing so.
but thats the problem: people think 100% of the people could become part of the 1%, heck even top 20%. But its impossible! so don't look down on those who don't manage to get there.

[XtremeC0der]

if minimum wage gets doubled, I only see one of two possible scenarios... a) half the employees get fired to keep costs where they are now, or b) the price of everything gets increased. do you want to pay $8.99 for a big mac sandwich without fries/drink? if you're one of the ones that gets fired, are you going to start talking about the half that didn't get fired the same way people talk about the "1%"? if you're not happy with what you make then get another job. it's not difficult. like a lot of others, i started working in fast food as well... then call centres... then shitty retail jobs. and now? well, i sit at a desk, have someone to answer my phone for me, and i spend half my day in meetings.

anyone that says they "can't do anything else" is just making excuses - clinical anxiety and depression, schizophrenia, chronic heart problems since i was 18... the list goes on. i never took disability checks from the government, either. oh, and i did all this while fighting a 9-year losing battle in family court as i watched all of my tax returns get intercepted and all my pay checks get garnished 50% and sent to the government to offset the disability they were paying the mother (she was "high anxiety" - nothing more, and was on simple pills just so she'd be eligible for disability).

so don't tell me you're "stuck" and "can't do anything about it". it's just excuses


edit: yes, we do need people in these jobs... all i'm saying is if you don't like your situation, then change it. sometimes you need to take responsibility for your own life and not wait around for someone else to do it for you.

[Coombs]

Cost of living should be adjusted and enforced to compensate for ALL lower employments. Increasing the pay of just one area will leave everyone flocking from shit jobs to fast food jobs.

[GhostShaman]

Yea, and I don't agree with multimillion dollar executive compensation. The people barely even do anything.

We need to do something, a $15 minimum wage will have a variety of negative consequences if nothing else changes. It won't happen... but there is a serious issue in this country where no money makes it to the people who are actually doing the work, it all goes to the people at the top. So while they are making more money, the people at the bottom make the same which is simply not livable wages. It is impossible for even an individual to maintain a decent life while working a minimum wage job.

Minimum wage jobs can also not be perfomed solely by children. They do require adults for most of the positions.

You really dont think the people at the top did not work hard to get there? That they didnt pay their dues working menial jobs while getting educated? Everyone at the top has to start somewhere, and their hard work pays off. Work hard, get educated, be successful.

BTW guys getting educated doesn't necessarily mean college.

[XtremeC0der]

i don't why people still think everyone can get one of the "high-end jobs"...
Our world needs Waste-Collectors, Cleaning services, Supermarket Clerks etc. etc. it even "needs" fast-foot employees. so why deny them a livable income? its just so stupid, you cant have everyone working as an Enterpreneur. theres simply no demand for everyone doing so.
but thats the problem: people think 100% of the people could become part of the 1%, heck even top 20%. But its impossible! so don't look down on those who don't manage to get there.

there's a big difference between trying and failing, and doing nothing but sit there complaining about how unhappy you are with your current job/marriage/situation/etc.

[Kivimetsan]

All minimum wages do is force employers to cut employees, its that simple. Minimum wages shouldn't even exist, because come on who in there right mind would work for such low wages voluntarily anyway? Without minimum wages, employers would actually compete with each other for the best employees possible, offering high wages, etc for whoever proves there worth. If you don't work efficiently or well with others, why should you be paid the same amount as someone who excels at there job? Exactly. You are an individual and as such your employment should be based upon your skills, not you age or any other factor.

Also its not like low paying jobs require a high degree of skill - pay should be relative to skill, to maintain equilibrium within the workforce otherwise cost price will inflate.

[Velerios]

Thats a lovely story. And you tell it with such enthusiasm. But unfortunately this isn't other countries. This is America.

LOL, best comment ever. Yes, such thinking is only possible in amerika. Sry, but are you anxious that you don't get your XXXXXL-Menu no longer for 50 cent? (yes, i know it is more expensive, i just wanted to exaggerate it) The wadges are increasing, but the inflation is too. So if the usa would stop to print more and more money to keep the wall street happy, there wouldn't be as much inflation as there is now. And yes, europe isn't better with it as are the other states.

[Deleted]

there's a big difference between trying and failing, and doing nothing but sit there complaining about how unhappy you are with your current job/marriage/situation/etc.

and how exactly do you differtiate the failed ones from the "doing nothing and sit there" people?


edit: even if the cost of fastfood rises its still fucking cheap

[Wildtree]

You probably didn't understand me, let me rephrase "unfortunately this isn't other countries, this is America and our politicians aren't willing to do anything but what benefits their pockets/interests". I think Nixx got it. Maybe, perhaps. Common sense isn't common and if it is, the people are willing to turn a blind eye for personal reasons. Since nobody at the top is gonna change, WE are the ones who have to make that change. And that, if anything, is the message of my post. But not by demanding 15 dollars an hour to a specific group of people, but by changing as a whole.

yeah, now I got you...... Forgive me, I was trapped by the MMO-C typical crowd..
You wouldn't have made the first post that reads "but we are America, keep your ideas for yourself".
But no, I agree with all you said here.

[NotFunny008]

Ummmm dude...You can;t even LIVE off of minimum wage..And TBH 15 isn't even enough in alot of places...

The cost of living is getting higher while pay is staying the same..Thus we DO need an increase..People are currently working longer and harder then they have in decades and in the US at least more hours for less pay and benefits then any other developed nation i know of(china aside)..

I'm sorry but this IS needed...Now if i had my way i'd even put a freeze on a companies ability to fire and decrease any non CEOs pay wage...In short force the supposed trickle down economics...

Freeze ability to fire? Who is going to show up for work?

[Syenite]

They can't live off their current wage - hence taxpayer money is used to support them. The fastfood industry is making massive proffits, why not use those proffits to pay for their own bloody employies? Why force it on the average taxpayer to pay?

[Guvguv]

Minimum wage in norway is like atleast 21 dollars...

[Wildtree]

if minimum wage gets doubled, I only see one of two possible scenarios... a) half the employees get fired to keep costs where they are now, or b) the price of everything gets increased. do you want to pay $8.99 for a big mac sandwich without fries/drink? if you're one of the ones that gets fired, are you going to start talking about the half that didn't get fired the same way people talk about the "1%"? if you're not happy with what you make then get another job. it's not difficult. like a lot of others, i started working in fast food as well... then call centres... then shitty retail jobs. and now? well, i sit at a desk, have someone to answer my phone for me, and i spend half my day in meetings.

For A) this will NOT happen... And why? The work is still there and has to be done. Companies cannot miraculously cut their business in half. That would for some translate into bankruptcy. That however opens the doors for competitors.
The demand for products doesn't magically drop by 50%, which would be the only way to logically lay off 50% of the workforce.

B) The prices may go up, but not from $1.00 a burger to $8.99. The burger may cost some 20 - 30 cent more. Payroll is not the highest expense for a company. By far not. And the bigger the company, the less of an expense percentage it becomes.
And how would the consumer react to the price increase? If the consumer has higher wages, his/her purchasing power increases. The 20 - 30 cent will then be a non-issue. If the company tries to take advantage (which isn't out of the picture either) and tries to excessively raise the prices, then again, the competition is ready to knock them out of the pond.
Now if ALL raise the prices magically equally, then we may have some kind of a price cartel going, and that would be subject to investigation by the feds. Price cartel is a crime..

[Barnabas]

I'm not calling the protesters liars but I'm curious what they spend their money on? I've read a lot of stories about how many of them try to support their children. I imagine the ones living in NYC feel they need their own apartment? Do you really need that kind of overhead while in a shitty paying job? I'd move in with family and cut costs while I got my shit together. I've read stories of people that worked at a mcdonalds for 4 years. A year I can understand while you look for something else but 4? C'mon now? There are other better paying jobs out there than "do you want fries with that?" If they get their way then half of them will get fired and be unemployed. So then they have no money to pay for anything.