Minimum Wage

[Illuminattile]

I saw an episode of Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days last night in which he had to live on minimum wage for a month.

Damn.

I didn't realise how low the American minimum wage was. Starting from October the minimum wage for people over 22 in the UK will be £5.35, which is about $9.85. The base federal minimum wage in the U.S. is $5.15. That's a pittance. I don't see why the government doesn't increase it. Motivation to find a job isn't a factor. If you look at the unemployment state-by-state, there's no (obvious) correlation between that state's minimum wage and it's level of unemployment.

Feelings?

 

[DJ Harris]

thats insane but i spoze u can't really compare the two as it goes on cost of living and shit?.....

 

[Cooper]

that is a very low minimum...

 

[The.Menace]

I don't see why the government doesn't increase it.

Cheap work helps the economy to get grow, so that those that are in control can make more money while the actual workers are modern slaves. The government doesn't care about the people, so why would the increase it, they care about the economy and about profit.

 

[PuffnScruff]

it is low but most places pay more than that. flipping burgers at mcdonalds pays like 7 bucks an hour in most places. sometimes more.

it can also depend on the employer. when i worked at dominos i got started out at 5.75 ( i was a driver so i also got tips and i worked overtime every week). my boss had a friend who owned a few dominos in the next city over and i had a few friends that worked there too. he wouldnt pay his drivers anything more than 5.35 an hour when he knew that he could, but wouldnt just because he is cheap like that. he wouldnt let his drivers work more than 40 hours a week, when my boss would let me work as much as i wanted. i would work up to 50 hours a week most of the time.


it wont get raised with this adminstration but i think it will when the next one gets into office. i'm sure that min wage will be an issue in the 08 elections since it hasnt been raised in like 8 years.

 

[XIAN]

In NY, since Jan, we get $6.75 and I think next Jan it'll be $7.00.

What Menace said is probably what the reason is basically. Something I dislike is if the employer increases profits, it doesn't trickle down to the employee (in most cases). WIth minimum wage jobs the workers get no bonuses.

 

[PuffnScruff]

Bonuses depend on the employer. When I worked at dominos I got an xmas bonus every year. It would get bigger every year I was there. Sometime I was given a bonus just out of the blue, when no one else would receive one, just for doing a good job. Employers can given them out if they want too it just depends on the people working in the higher ups of the company and what type of business it is and the type of ownership.

When I worked for pj's the employes never got raises and never saw bonuses just because the stores (about 5 of them in the area) where run by the owners son and he pocket the money that could and should have been given out to the employees for raises and bonuses.

 

[_carmi]

in Quebec it was 7.60$ and now its gonna change to 7.75$ (if it hasnt already changed)

 

[S O F I]

If production increases, minimum wage increases.

 

[DrugBa11ad]

What should happen is they should raise it to $6.50 for anyone under 18. But they should have a minimum wage of $8.00 for anyone OVER 18 that cannot rely on parental support.

So when your living under someone elses roof, a lower minimum wage is alright.

Thats my opinion, they already do that in a lot of other countries, but i dont know why we dont have it here.

 

[PuffnScruff]

We don't have that here in the states because it wouldn't make everyone equal. A worker is a worker no matter their age

 

[Dogmatic187]

We don't have that here in the states because it wouldn't make everyone equal. A worker is a worker no matter their age

That's true, but a 16 year old most likely isn't trying to keep a roof over their head, and food on the table. A 21 year old is. Minimum Wage is a big problem, that isn't talked about as much in America.

 

[Illuminattile]

What should happen is they should raise it to $6.50 for anyone under 18. But they should have a minimum wage of $8.00 for anyone OVER 18 that cannot rely on parental support.

So when your living under someone elses roof, a lower minimum wage is alright.

Thats my opinion, they already do that in a lot of other countries, but i dont know why we dont have it here.

That's what we have in the UK, though the minimum wage for under-18s is still higher than your minimum wage.

 

[DrugBa11ad]

That's what we have in the UK, though the minimum wage for under-18s is still higher than your minimum wage.

Exactly, thats how it is in a few countries, I fully advocate that system.

And PuffNScruff, your arguement makes no sense. "A worker is a worker", what is that? A child working while in school, living with his/her parents, doesn't haev the same amount of economic needs as a individual living on his own (or supporting a family) at 18 or older. America needs to take a look at other countries and how thier doing it and adopt that shit.

 

[The.Menace]

when i worked at dominos i got started out at 5.75

I dunno about u guys but I wouldn't move one finger for 5.75. Seriously.

 

[XIAN]

^LOL

When I worked for pj's the employes never got raises and never saw bonuses just because the stores (about 5 of them in the area) where run by the owners son and he pocket the money that could and should have been given out to the employees for raises and bonuses.

That's what usually happens but it's policy. I'm pretty surprised about Dominos though.

 

[PuffnScruff]

Exactly, thats how it is in a few countries, I fully advocate that system.

And PuffNScruff, your arguement makes no sense. "A worker is a worker", what is that? A child working while in school, living with his/her parents, doesn't haev the same amount of economic needs as a individual living on his own (or supporting a family) at 18 or older. America needs to take a look at other countries and how thier doing it and adopt that shit.

america is built on equality, if it adopts other countries policies and pay one person more than another for doing the same job just because they live with their parents wouldnt make the workers equal. what i mean by a worker is a worker, is that a job isnt going to look at your living situation, if you need more pay than the next person, if you should be payed more because you have a family. that doesnt make people equal. all that matters is if you can do that the job, if so then do it if you want the job.

if a teenager living with his parents gets paid less than a person who lives on their own, but the teenager works harder, is that fair? hell no.

if you need more money to full fill your needs in life, or even just to get by, then get out there and make it. if you have to work 3 jobs to do it then that is what you need to do.

 

[DrugBa11ad]

Thats probably the lamest arguement I've ever heard.

You have never experianced real life if you fully admire what you just said, and you must haev never struggled or fully understood the struggle taht many poor citizens face. That is ridiculous for you to say that "if you need to work threee jobs"

American built on EQUALITY!?!??! HAHA, I have NEVER heard anything farther from the truth in my life.

Damn, that had me laughing.

Your a funny guy.

 

[S O F I]

Thats probably the lamest arguement I've ever heard.

You have never experianced real life if you fully admire what you just said, and you must haev never struggled or fully understood the struggle taht many poor citizens face. That is ridiculous for you to say that "if you need to work threee jobs"

American built on EQUALITY!?!??! HAHA, I have NEVER heard anything farther from the truth in my life.

Damn, that had me laughing.

Your a funny guy.

You're obviously an advocate for socialism/communism. It's good to see an American that appreciates such idealisms. No sarcasm.

However, what PuffNScruff was getting at is, it shouldn't matter what your life situation is or or your age. What matters is whether you can do the job or not. So, if a 21 year old gets an entry job at Burger King, he shouldn't get paid more than a 16 year old for the same job occupation. Age doesn't neccesarily mean more skill, especially not in minimum wage jobs.

I dunno about u guys but I wouldn't move one finger for 5.75. Seriously.

You're only looking it at it from point. The $5.75 might look small on a global or even nationwide scale, but not neccessarily if you live in the state that has that minimum wage. For example, you might be getting $5.75 an hour in one state while your friend gets $7.65 in another, but living expenses differ. Your living expenses are probably cheaper. Which means: gas, groceries, home and apt. rent, clothing, etc, are cheaper than that of the state your friend is in. So, in the end, it equals out a bit.

 

[DrugBa11ad]

You're obviously an advocate for socialism/communism. It's good to see an American that appreciates such idealisms. No sarcasm.

I am a socialist, good call. I appreciate that, I would guess you advocate socialism also?

However, what PuffNScruff was getting at is, it shouldn't matter what your life situation is or or your age. What matters is whether you can do the job or not. So, if a 21 year old gets an entry job at Burger King, he shouldn't get paid more than a 16 year old for the same job occupation. Age doesn't neccesarily mean more skill, especially not in minimum wage jobs.

I never said age = skill. But my point is that NEED should outweigh skill, the NEED for money should outweigh how much skill one has at flipping burgers. A child does not NEED the money like an ADULT does to support themselves and thier family.