Wages are a big source of contention in the good old US of A.
Raise the minimum wage.
Don't raise it.
Don't have a minimum wage.
Make a maximum wage.
Congress should make minimum wage.
It goes on and on and on.
Here's the thing:
People saying that raising the minimum wage is a bad idea because everything else will go up is so wrong.
Why, you may ask.
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour was implemented in 2009. Have prices not gone up since then?
It really doesn't matter. Prices are going to go up anyway.
Congress is never going to make minimum wage.
Why would they vote themselves a huge pay cut?
Same about the maximum wage.
True that no person is worth millions of dollars in salary and benefits to go to meetings.
But, the corporate world says differently.
And who sleeps with the corporate world?
The government.
The argument for not having a minimum wage is that people should bargain for what they want and wages will actually go up.
In theory, that sounds great.
In practice, there will always be someone to take less money because they need the job.
Should people get paid their worth?
Yes.
Sadly, that is not how the world works.
Nope, not how it works indeed. Corporate idiots who play golf all day get big pay outs and those that make them look good get nadda. Minimum wage is 10.70 here.
ReplyDeletePat, I could handle working for that.
DeleteThat is so true; we should get paid our worth and we sadly don't. I know in my particular line of work my wage has gone down 40% over the last 8 years, yet I'm expected to do 20% more.
ReplyDeletebetty
Down??? Oh,that makes me sad. :-(
DeleteBetty, More work for less pay seems to be the way. My husband can't find a job making the same money doing the same thing he did several years ago. Same thing with a forklift job he did. It's such a shame.
DeleteAll I know (and it ain't much) is that I would never take a job that paid $7.25 an hour. That being said, if the minimum wage is raised to $15, what about those who were already making $15 an hour? They should go to $20 an hour? Then what about those who already make $20 an hour? And so on. THAT being said, your statement that a lot has changed since 2009 is spot on. I also agree with Pat.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad I have enough money to buy a coffee at Wawa.
Al, The last job I had wasn't even $7.25 an hour and it was hard to suck it up and take it. My husband currently makes just over $15 and he has wondered the same thing. He works so hard that he should make a lot more. I don't know that there is a solution. If there was, it would be upper management making less and actual workers making more.
DeleteIt ain't an easy answer, for sure. I think I made close to $3.00 an hour at MY first job. But, that was 40 years ago, so...
DeleteIt ain't an easy answer, for sure. I think I made close to $3.00 an hour at MY first job. But, that was 40 years ago, so...
DeleteMy first job was $3.35.
DeleteI absolutely agree with you. A rising tide lifts all boats.
ReplyDelete@Kathleen01930
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Kathleen, if only everyone thought the same way.
DeleteIt's ridiculous that the U.S. pays so many workers such a paltry pittance and expects them to live off of it. Other countries don't have those types of problems, since they actually pay a living wage. Sadly, the powers that be are still most profoundly out of touch with how the other half lives.
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Carrie-Anne, I think thy get more and more out of touch all the time.
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ReplyDeletePlay bazaar
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