$15 minimum wage

[evlblkwpnz 3,418]

I think it will absolutely screw small businesses, screw the young and old who are seeking employment, and screw customers. More experienced middle aged individuals who still have a bit of life left in them will be likely the most desirable employees again. Not to mention overtime will likely be unheard of at entry level jobs. I think it will be a mass culling on many levels. Prices at places that are traditionally entry level work will drastically increase as well. A lot of good making $15 will do someone when everything they buy on a regular basis nearly doubles in price. How many companies will simply close down or refuse to do business in these states?

Edited April 5, 2016 by evlblkwpnz

[yakdung 2,926]

Fools and ignorant individuals are behind this one.

 

https://youtu.be/ca8Z__o52sk

 

http://newsexaminer.net/food/mcdonalds-to-open-restaurant-run-by-robots/

[Sim_Player 1,939]

I tend to not react, to this one, as I've never paid anyone less than that (construction).

 

Btw, good painters (as employees) are really hard to find!

 

I'm okay with robot burgers!

Edited April 5, 2016 by Sim_Player

[sjgusmc21 850]

Not too happy about it what so ever.  Minimum is a starting point...it is a place to 'start' and learn, to want to move up, want to do better, want to make more money.  It is entry level.  I look at this just like free college....why earn it?  Right?  If someone is just going to give it to you.  And yes, I do believe it is going to hammer the dog shit out of small business, and who will suffer in the long run?  The consumer. 

[Spacehog 2,218]

Everytime the minimum wage has been raised on the Federal level, it has been followed by recession and an increase in unemployment. The bright side on this one is it is being done on a state wide basis. It should be an interesting experiment to see how it destroys the economies and increases unemployment in those states. Now if only we could find a way for companies having to pay it to keep the inevitable price increases only for the consumers in those states. This will effectively kill small business in those states.

[evlblkwpnz 3,418]

I tend to not react, to this one, as I've never paid anyone less than that (construction).

 

Btw, good painters (as employees) are really hard to find!

 

I'm okay with robot burgers!

It is becoming hard to find a good employee at all these days. Around here, the young people seem to think that showing up at all (notice I didn't say "on time") is working hard. Many often lack the understanding that they must produce more than they are paid in order to keep a job and for the company to stay in business.

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

I do specialized and pretty physical work and I dont even make $15 an hour (probably because of my age. Annual raise coming up, we'll see). Screw the "entitled" and liberal arts majors. Let em get fat on grease and die young and poor. Get a real job losers.

[G O B 3,516]

Ironically, this will hurt the POOREST people the hardest!

Pay should reflect the VALUE of the work performed. Setting a arbitrary dollar amount ANY work performed will result in the LOSS of any job that does not produce more profit than that arbitrary minimum! Many 'jobs' will become under the table cash transactions - at a rate MUCH LOWER than that minimum - other jobs will just DISSAPEAR, or move to another State.

[csspecs 1,987]

Interestingly it has the effect of increasing taxes on the poor without using those words.

 

Tax rates are set off of dollar amounts, so causing inflation results in more people that are functionally poor but make too much money to apply for aid. It also makes savings less valuable, meaning that everyone that saved for the future is getting screwed yet again.

 

They may as well tear every dollar in half and say 'now you have two'. Because doubling the dollar value of human effort, results in the halving of the buying power of the currency. Currency is merely a way of trading human effort for other human effort.. Anyone who thinks of money as anything more than an exchange tool is an idiot.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

Everytime the minimum wage has been raised on the Federal level, it has been followed by recession and an increase in unemployment. The bright side on this one is it is being done on a state wide basis. It should be an interesting experiment to see how it destroys the economies and increases unemployment in those states. Now if only we could find a way for companies having to pay it to keep the inevitable price increases only for the consumers in those states. This will effectively kill small business in those states.

 

Actually its a bit more complex than that.

There is little to point to it making enough of a difference either way and more depends on other factors as the economy is so much bigger than that job market.

Well until we went on the burger flipping economy, and that in itself is much more serious problem than what those flippers are paid.

 

Good for the robot folks though err?

 

The real problem is the very idea of the feds having any say in the matter at all.

[HB of CJ 1,263]

We used to work in the trades.  Kitchen remodels.  Commercial manufactured cabinets in new large construction sites.  Yep ... the hardest thing to find was experienced people willing to work.  Nothing fancy.  We are not talking rocket science here.  The hiring and TRAINING costs were killing our business.

 

I would get hit on the job site with unsolicited requests for employment.  Nobody had any skills.  None had their own personal tools.  Some did not even have proper clothing including boots, gloves, glasses, hard hats.  Yet they demanded top wages.  I would take the time to explain.  They did  not understand.

 

Kids would demand top dollar.  They would last half a day.  The work was too hard.  The summer was too hot.  They got hand blisters.  None brought water.  Few brought lunch.  We were quickly becoming a day care center.  Finally the super shut down site access for those seeking free hand outs.

 

The jobs usually, but not always, were non Union.  Best.  We would get goons and reps crawling around, demanding we hire Union trades men.  We tried.  They were worse than the college kids looking for a posh summer job.  Demanded special treatment.  They were not worth the HIGH Union wage we paid.

 

My point?  Rare was the guy who showed up with tools with water with lunch with job experience.  They were golden.  They were worth every penny.  Hi pay. Out of a hundred employees, maybe 5 or so would stick and work out.  Yet they demanded a HIGH minimum wage?  This was years ago.  Nowadays?

 

Here is a zinger.  We would hire temp lumpers from the State Employment Office.  Most were Hispanics.  All had "green cards".  Most floundered.  Were not prepared to work either.  But ... most of our permanent employees were Mexican.  Motivated.  They worked like machines.  Had to slow them down.

 

A high minimum wage?  An outrage.  Designed to put small businesses out of business.  In Oregon it is more than 10 employees.  Not much room for an expansion type business plan.  We hear horror stories locally from friends.  Also nobody today seems to be able to pass the drug screening.  Yikes.

[yakdung 2,926]

 

I tend to not react, to this one, as I've never paid anyone less than that (construction).

 

Btw, good painters (as employees) are really hard to find!

 

I'm okay with robot burgers!

It is becoming hard to find a good employee at all these days. Around here, the young people seem to think that showing up at all (notice I didn't say "on time") is working hard. Many often lack the understanding that they must produce more than they are paid in order to keep a job and for the company to stay in business.

 

You are absolute 110 percent correct.

We used to work in the trades.  Kitchen remodels.  Commercial manufactured cabinets in new large construction sites.  Yep ... the hardest thing to find was experienced people willing to work.  Nothing fancy.  We are not talking rocket science here.  The hiring and TRAINING costs were killing our business.

 

I would get hit on the job site with unsolicited requests for employment.  Nobody had any skills.  None had their own personal tools.  Some did not even have proper clothing including boots, gloves, glasses, hard hats.  Yet they demanded top wages.  I would take the time to explain.  They did  not understand.

 

Kids would demand top dollar.  They would last half a day.  The work was too hard.  The summer was too hot.  They got hand blisters.  None brought water.  Few brought lunch.  We were quickly becoming a day care center.  Finally the super shut down site access for those seeking free hand outs.

 

The jobs usually, but not always, were non Union.  Best.  We would get goons and reps crawling around, demanding we hire Union trades men.  We tried.  They were worse than the college kids looking for a posh summer job.  Demanded special treatment.  They were not worth the HIGH Union wage we paid.

 

My point?  Rare was the guy who showed up with tools with water with lunch with job experience.  They were golden.  They were worth every penny.  Hi pay. Out of a hundred employees, maybe 5 or so would stick and work out.  Yet they demanded a HIGH minimum wage?  This was years ago.  Nowadays?

 

Here is a zinger.  We would hire temp lumpers from the State Employment Office.  Most were Hispanics.  All had "green cards".  Most floundered.  Were not prepared to work either.  But ... most of our permanent employees were Mexican.  Motivated.  They worked like machines.  Had to slow them down.

 

A high minimum wage?  An outrage.  Designed to put small businesses out of business.  In Oregon it is more than 10 employees.  Not much room for an expansion type business plan.  We hear horror stories locally from friends.  Also nobody today seems to be able to pass the drug screening.  Yikes.

Sad... sad... sad... and heartbreaking to boot.

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

In my line of work it takes quite a bit of training (on the job with senior employee) to get good. Year and a half before I was going out on my own. 3 years and I'm finally getting to be pretty good, but still learning all the time. Hard to get new guys with clean records, drug tests and work ethic. With experience even harder. Expert coworkers are getting old and few are coming in to be trained and ready for when the old ones retire. In a few years it's gonna be a labor crunch.

[yakdung 2,926]

https://youtu.be/x-BGi4NIFww

[Doug Hartley 526]

My wife and I have run a small business (child care with 33 employees) for over 20 years.  Labor is close to 70% of our expenses with average pay around $11 an hour.  If we have to increase our labor expenses by almost a third (.70x.333=.231) means we need to increase our income by almost 25%.  Average family pays about $800 a month so they would see an increase to almost a thousand dollars.  There is nothing wrong with higher wages but people have to understand that the money has to come from somewhere.  $10 seems reasonable for a starting wage but $15 is a bit outrageous. 

 

Doug

[ms33837 33]

they also do not understand it will affect all workers I have electrical company and pay my helpers $14 and foremen $18-20 how do I keep them when kids at Mac donalds are getting $15 do I have to raise wages $7 across the board Then raise my labor rates $12 to cover add payroll taxes. and lose bids

Edited April 5, 2016 by dogman33836

[DLT 1,646]

Get ready for more unemployment.

[yakdung 2,926]

Graduate from the Al Sharpton school of superior intellect.

 

https://youtu.be/Q437BX7IXd8

[Vance665 225]

Im a self employed carpenter. If this goes down in my state I'll just raise my prices. Wouldn't effect me at all.

 

Just another case of the government thinking they know whats best and fucking things up even worse for the middle and lower classes.

[evlblkwpnz 3,418]

Graduate from the Al Sharpton school of superior intellect.

 

https://youtu.be/Q437BX7IXd8

She's probably the first to screw someone's order up too.... and wanting $15 an hour.

[metalgodlb 30]

Ridiculous. 330 million people, 94 million out of the workforce and only about 1.5 million of those earn minimum wage. Most of the reasons this is a terrible idea have been covered and I would also like to add that this is a hot button for unions too due to the fact that a large portion of unions base their pay off of a percentage of minimum wage. So basically their pay goes up and me being in a union (pipe fitter) I have to hear this crap all the time. What they don't understand is that while a pay raise is great, it doesn't help you if you price yourself out of the market.

[Rhodes1968 1,638]

Yeah I was looking back and cant find an example of nearly doubling the wage during a time of looming economic disaster which should make people more conservative but this time they are doubling down in earnest.

 

I feel like a guy in the back rank of Pickets Charge wondering what insanity has occurred among us all to be in this spot and knowing there is no way out so... hay-foot straw-foot forward until canister shot or minie ball ends the misery.

[Photoguy 202]

Putting us back on the Gold Standard would help solve a lot of the wage issues by making the dollar more valuable.

 

That being said, it's wishful thinking at this point as no one in the position to do it will.

[montec 164]

Ok, I'm gonna date myself, prove some ignorance and speak on this topic.  Let the fun begin.

 

When i was 11 or so, I was doing roofing with my parents on their house.  First time for all of use including my stepdad.  Learned alot.  Did 3 roofs(house, garage, and his moms house).  Now during this time I was learning how to drive.  Fun times '53 chevy 2 ton truck, had to pump the brakes to get any pressure and it was a 4speed manual.  Anyway, eventually I was getting paid by my stepdad to help him out in the garage, minimum wage was $4.25, he gave me $4.  At 13 I got a job helping out a contractor to do a residential roof,  Proved I was capable of moving their truck and keeping their guys locked and loaded and moving fast.

 

Now when I was 14 I got a job with the local job service, some sort of intro to work thing, and made $500 for a few weeks of my time working at the school, helping the janitor during summer break.

 

At 16 I got a job working Retail.  At 17 I started a second Job working Fast Food.  I've been working since, tried every field I found that would take me, tried sticking with many but found no movement capabilities.

 

Oh and I am talking early to mid 90's.

 

 

Now I've gone to college, have a worthless degree, and stuck doing entry level jobs cause no one wants to take the time to give someone experience in my area.  Ok I have a Management Degree with an Accounting Diploma.  Haven't been able to do jack with either in 15years.  Still paying on my student loans, my parents didn't pay for my college, and I didn't qualify for any grants.

 

Now I'm making $15 and change an hour, and the cost of living is high in my area, I'm in ND.

 

We had an article in the local paper this past summer talking about all these stores/restaurants closing due to 16yr olds without any experience demanding $12+/hr.  I've been making between 12-15 per hour for the last 10years.  I can't seem to find a business where I can grow to any sort of managment, or will pay anything more.  It sucks, I'm tired of many of them going we'll pay you $13/hr or sometimes lower.  I interviewed for jobs in the past I litterly had to laugh at them and say thank you for wasting my time for a position that pays $10/hr when comparable with other places is $14+.  I've got a few years under my belt, I've decided its time for my employer to pay me more then the bottom feeders.

 

I'm on the hunt for new work, I'm in a role where I'm basically a perma temp(they now call them vendor positions), and I am just done.  I'm on a small team, and I know one is changing to medical from IT at the age of I think 39.  Another I know is just biding time untill he gets an offer from another employer that is working on the job description.  Heard a rumor the person they hired for our lead/supervisor is looking as well.  I've been looking for work for a year and will keep looking till I find something that gets me closer to home and pays me somewhat better.

 

Call me nieve, but I just want to work for a place that I'm not a number.  I want to be apart of something and treated as a human not some warm body filling a spot.

 

The workers demanding $15/hr to start need to get off their asses and learn something so they are not some uneducated workforce flipping burgers at mcd's and hell even McD's is catching on and are testing automated locations.

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

I absolutely HATE desk/office or repetitive factory work. I need to be out doing diverse stuff. My line of work (garage door technician) is pretty good in that sense. I've been to so many different residential, commercial and industrial businesses. Seen all kinds of cool stuff. I've worked on many, many types of doors, openers, controls, etc. Field trip every day. If I was tied down to a desk I would go crazy.

[montec 164]

I absolutely HATE desk/office or repetitive factory work. I need to be out doing diverse stuff. My line of work (garage door technician) is pretty good in that sense. I've been to so many different residential, commercial and industrial businesses. Seen all kinds of cool stuff. I've worked on many, many types of doors, openers, controls, etc. Field trip every day. If I was tied down to a desk I would go crazy.

My last desk job wasn't so bad but turned into corp shit over the last few years I was there.  This one is deadend work and drains me.  I just had my annual with my doctor on my health, everything is stable but my non activity being basically tied down at this place isn't doing me any good.  Its to the point that I am looking at some sort of fitness tracker just to see how detrimental it is to my health.

 

Honestly my 2.5months between this job and the one before doing work for google streetview was much more fun besides some of the down time due to weather.  Yeah i was stuck in a car all day but I was out enjoying the sunshine, and weather, as I still had to get out of the vehicle every so often to do what I needed to.  Being stuck in a box i am not happy about.  I'm getting old and definitely not in shape in anyway shape or form, ok I'm still not 250lbs but I'm no 175 either.

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

Garage doors require much heavy physical labor for carrying sections, handling assemblies and especially winding springs. Those big springs on the large commercial doors really work you. Keeps me in good shape. 6' 6" 180# with very little padding. Brute strength is pretty good but cardio not so much.

[VR762Shooter 838]

Funniest thing is all the people who demand the $15 an hour wage don't realize the free benies they get are federally funded. So they try to continue their food stamps and their Obama phones and suddenly they make too much because their over the federally allowable threshold. Then they actually make less than when they were at the lower wage because the state benies were so insane 

[evlblkwpnz 3,418]

Funniest thing is all the people who demand the $15 an hour wage don't realize the free benies they get are federally funded. So they try to continue their food stamps and their Obama phones and suddenly they make too much because their over the federally allowable threshold. Then they actually make less than when they were at the lower wage because the state benies were so insane 

I didn't consider that conveniently "unintended consequence". There is going to be some epic butthurt! I'm going to have a great day thinking about it

[Spartacus 1,619]

Most small biz will dry up in these areas and there will be nothing left but Walmart, gas stations, and McDonalds all charging twice what they do now.

It's going to get BAD if this $15 min wage catches on everywhere.

 

Then the "urban youths" will be screaming they need $25/hr to make ends meet.