$15 fast-food wage?

[RLBosley]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fast-food-workers-intensify-fight-011826374.html

Knowing how to rally a crowd, Ms. Henry said in her keynote speech, “A selfish few at the top are using their power to hold down wages, no matter how much that hurts families and communities across the country.”

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Throughout the convention, one overarching strategy was to say the fast-food movement was an economic justice movement comparable to the civil rights movement — a strategy the service employees used to unionize tens of thousands of cleaning workers in its “Justice for Janitors” campaign. Inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the fast-food workers debated and discussed using nonviolent civil disobedience to step up pressure on the fast-food companies.

“They’re already slowly killing us with the way they’ve got us living,” said Terrence Wise, a Burger King worker in Kansas City, Mo., who served as M.C. for much of the convention. “Are we going to stand up?” he asked. “I want to see who is willing to do whatever it takes, who is willing to get arrested.”

After his pleas, the workers voted unanimously to conduct a wave of civil disobedience actions.

Unreal. I can't even fathom this level of stupid... :BangHead:

How do they think this is going to work out? Do they honestly believe that the company's can just raise, double, their pay and expect no repercussions elsewhere? Unbelievable...

 

[church mouse guy]

The Democrats want the federal government to hold a gun to the owner's head and make him pay his employees more than they are worth to the customer of the restaurant.

 

[Salty]

The Democrats want the federal government to hold a gun to the owner's head and make him pay his employees more than they are worth to the customer of the restaurant.

That's putting it blunt - but sometimes that's how you have to share the truth.

 

[Thousand Hills]

We have a local fast food chain that appears to hire and train courteous and hard working employees. I'm sure they pay above average also, usually eat at one of their locations a couple times a week. Other than that place and Chik-fil-a, I try as much as possible to avoid fast food anymore. Service at McD's, Burger King, etc. is usually horrible, burgers typically look like the folks in the back were playing hacky sack with them prior to sticking them in the bag, usually a long wait no matter what time of day, often the order is wrong, and after that I still end up spending $10 just to get a basic meal. Let the workers demand higher wages, most of these places should close down anyways.

 

[preacher4truth]

Unreal. I can't even fathom this level of stupid... :BangHead:

How do they think this is going to work out? Do they honestly believe that the company's can just raise, double, their pay and expect no repercussions elsewhere? Unbelievable...

Good points. We have a bumper crop of people in society conditioned to believe that others will pay the repercussions, but not the individuals themselves -- someone else, and they believe they're entitled to this and not responsible whatsoever. The immoral stance on abortion acceptance has helped to facilitate such a notion.

 

[preachinjesus]

The unionization is the ultimate goal. Too bad there is a massive group of citizens who would happily fill these jobs if they were to come open.

A member of our church owns a couple of Chick-Fil-As in the area. He has never had these kinds of problems. He primarily hires teenagers, pays them above what most teens get, trains them, creates a safe environment and allows them to grow in their jobs.

If these groups wish to unionize (in the few states where this still matters) that's fine. But they will likely begin losing jobs en masse. Its part of the economic situation provided by a free market.

What is really telling is this kind of quote:

If we win $15, that would change my life,” said Cherri Delisline, 27, a single mother who earns $7.35 an hour after 10 years as a McDonald’s cashier in North Charleston, S.C. “I get paid so little money that it’s hard to make ends meet, and I’ve had to move back in with my mother.”

I'm sure $15 an hour would change things, but even more would education and going out to find a better job. If you don't like the position you're in, you can legitimately make it better by efforting yourself and finding better paying employment.

I'm surprised it hasn't come up more frequently around here, but one of the primary advocates of this nonsense is a lady who lives on the west coast and is an avowed socialist. She says, in her speeches, that she is seeking the redistribution of wealth. That is attractive for underclass, deeply disenfranchised folks who never get the opportunities and believe they deserve better. Worked for Marx and Lenin too. Until their economies unwound.

 

[Salty]

What is really telling is this kind of quote:
If we win $15, that would change my life,” said Cherri Delisline, 27, a single mother who earns $7.35 an hour after 10 years as a McDonald’s cashier in North Charleston, S.C. “I get paid so little money that it’s hard to make ends meet, and I’ve had to move back in with my mother.”

She has worked for Mcdonalds for 10 years and is still a cashier? I have worked for a C-store for 18 months - and there were 3 opportunities during that time to become a supervisor. (I decline -as this is just a little extra income for me - and I do not have the time to commit to full time).
Why has this woman not been promoted? Makes you wonder. I always like to hear the ENTIRE story.

 

[Salty]

Here is the article about the woman in the previous post

 

[OldRegular]

The Democrats want the federal government to hold a gun to the owner's head and make him pay his employees more than they are worth to the customer of the restaurant.

There is no Constitutional authority for the Federal Government to establish a minimum wage. Of course the Constitution has become irrelevant as far as many in the Federal Government, all three branches!

 

[OldRegular]

I'm surprised it hasn't come up more frequently around here, but one of the primary advocates of this nonsense is a lady who lives on the west coast and is an avowed socialist. She says, in her speeches, that she is seeking the redistribution of wealth. That is attractive for underclass, deeply disenfranchised folks who never get the opportunities and believe they deserve better. Worked for Marx and Lenin too. Until their economies unwound.

Obama has succeeded in his efforts to redistribute wealth. The rich have gotten much much richer, the poor are getting more credit cards and Obamaphones, the middle income folks have seen their income decline by about 6%.

Of course the Federal employees continue to make about twice the income of the average private employee.

The newspaper probe relied on 2009 data (still the most current available) from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. It showed that federal civil servants received average pay and benefits of $123,049 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation.

According to USA Today, federal civilian employees received an average salary of $81,258 and benefits worth $41,791. Private-sector workers got $50,462 in pay and $10,589 in benefits.

http://www.politifact.com/virginia/...antor-says-benefits-and-salary-public-employ/

 

[Kevin M]

Boo Hoo! You mean I'll have to pay an extra .50 cents for a big mac so
people at Mcdonalds can get off H.U.D medicaid and food stamps.

 

[InTheLight]

Boo Hoo! You mean I'll have to pay an extra .50 cents for a big mac so
people at Mcdonalds can get off H.U.D medicaid and food stamps.

Generally speaking an increase in the minimum wage is derided by Republicans as a job killer that will raise prices on the poor. So far, it's hardly been demonstrable that it does this because increases have been small and incremental. However, raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 would be more than a 100% increase and yes, would cause lots of problems.

Since labor is typically the largest expense in a small business, increasing the cost of labor 100% would inevitably lead to price increases on fast food of being much more than $.50 per Big Mac. More like $2.00 or more.

Also, if the minimum wage is raised for fast food workers only--the idea behind this rally--then ironically the fallout would be that all other minimum wage or low wage workers would not be able to afford fast food anymore, which would lead to a sharp decrease in sales at these restaurants, which would lead to layoffs of fast food workers....which means the doomsday that Republicans have been warning about when the minimum wage is increased would actually come true (for once.)

 

[Revmitchell]

Boo Hoo! You mean I'll have to pay an extra .50 cents for a big mac so
people at Mcdonalds can get off H.U.D medicaid and food stamps.

Prove that is would only raise it .50.


If folks do not like their job go get another one and stop acting like McDonalds owes them something.

 

[Don]

Boo Hoo! You mean I'll have to pay an extra .50 cents for a big mac so
people at Mcdonalds can get off H.U.D medicaid and food stamps.

Have you considered taking an economics course?

 

[Kevin M]

Well, I cant prove it. It seems like common sense to me. Hang out in front of a
fast food place one day and just estimate the amount of sandwiches they sell
and multiply by .50. I'm not including french fries and other junk.

 

[Revmitchell]

Well, I cant prove it. It seems like common sense to me. Hang out in front of a
fast food place one day and just estimate the amount of sandwiches they sell
and multiply by .50. I'm not including french fries and other junk.

Well seeing as how you are another one of the johnny-come-lately's let me help you out. Around here if you make absurd claims we will want to see you back them up with some kind of legitimate support to your claim.

 

[Kevin M]

Well seeing as how you are another one of the johnny-come-lately's let me help you out. Around here if you make absurd claims we will want to see you back them up with some kind of legitimate support to your claim.

Dear sir, I have been member of this forum since 2006. I come hear often and
enjoy reading most of the debates and other post. I don't post much.
I don't think my claim is absurd at all. I worked in a restaurant for nine years,
although it was not exactly fast food it was high volume. I know what a good
price increase can do for the bottom line.

 

[Revmitchell]

Dear sir, I have been member of this forum since 2006. I come hear often and
enjoy reading most of the debates and other post. I don't post much.
I don't think my claim is absurd at all. I worked in a restaurant for nine years,
although it was not exactly fast food it was high volume. I know what a good
price increase can do for the bottom line.

You have 25 posts. You are a johnny come lately. I also worked in restaraunts, I washed dishes, cooked, bussed and waited tables. I know the industry. Overhead is very high in both retail and retail food. One little change makes huge waves in the bottom line.

 

[Kevin M]

Proof Please.:tongue3:

 

[Kevin M]

A raise in price does not always = a raise in overhead.