Fast food workers plan Thursday strike f

[Win]

The people touting this should come up with a better name for it. I suggest "Five Year Plan".

BTW, I read somewhere in my handful of free minutes, that in today's America, more start up businesses fail than succeed. I believe that is another historic change.

A higher minumum wage will further entrench established business.

 

[SHOZ]

There really aren't that many earning the Federal MW. With so many of the good paying jobs in America disappearing many are forced to earn theses low ages and try to live. It's pathetic.

All one has to do is see a company that is poorly managed, lay off a couple 1000 workers and their stock goes up. Shows you the mentality of our capitalistic society.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad


As I have mentioned, the USD is losing its value. Do we know why? Nope. Economists don't even know.. Increasing MW will only raise prices and cause everything to equal out at the end. Same pay to cost ratio: different numbers.


Increasing MW will increase prices on cheap, labor intensive things like haircuts and hamburgers. It won't do much for $3 million MRI machines.

So the gap between haves and have-nots will narrow, which is a good thing b/c when it gets as wide as it is now we have events like the French Revolution.

It'll also help those with crushing student loan debt, instead of other shenanigans in the works to rob from society to help said debt.

 

[Silverado12]

^^^Amen, bro.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: dlundblad


As I have mentioned, the USD is losing its value. Do we know why? Nope. Economists don't even know.. Increasing MW will only raise prices and cause everything to equal out at the end. Same pay to cost ratio: different numbers.


Increasing MW will increase prices on cheap, labor intensive things like haircuts and hamburgers. It won't do much for $3 million MRI machines.

So the gap between haves and have-nots will narrow, which is a good thing b/c when it gets as wide as it is now we have events like the French Revolution.

It'll also help those with crushing student loan debt, instead of other shenanigans in the works to rob from society to help said debt.


Yes labor intensive. I should have clarified. I doubt a new 50,000 car would seem much of a price increase either, but I don't know for sure.

Things like hamburgers, groceries (retail and food) and maybe services by people who are paid hourly.. Haircuts are a bad example because they can be hourly, but are mostly commission or booth rental and pay is in the employees hands.

Anyways the above stated will be affected by MW increase. Companies will have to pay for their 100% pay increase somehow and I doubt it will come out of their pockets. If expenses go up by 100%, wouldn't it make sense that their prices would too? Like a gallon of milk going from $3.50 to $7?

 

[SHOZ]

They figure a Big Mac will cost $0.25 more. Can you afford it?

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
If expenses go up by 100%, wouldn't it make sense that their prices would too? Like a gallon of milk going from $3.50 to $7?


That's a bad example, too.

Milk already sees tons of subsidies, protections, and price floors.

Maybe boneless chicken thighs would be a better one. They're mostly processed stateside, mostly by folks making under $10/hr (as I read in an "Arkansas miracle" op-ed piece), and AFAIK they don't see super huge tax breaks and manipulation. Boneless thighs have been available to me on sale for $2/lb since I started buying my own food in the 1990s.

This seems low, eg, efficient. I keep a few egg laying chickens and when they need slaughter due to old age, I just put them in a hefty bag and send them to the town dump. It's not even worth it to me to pluck and process the things, and I'm so cheap I jump over the electric eye in my garage door to keep the light off.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
They figure a Big Mac will cost $0.25 more. Can you afford it?


How did they come up with that math? Assuming a Big Mac meal is $5.00, that is only a 5% price increase. Meanwhile their labor went up 100%. It doesn't make sense to me.

 

[SHOZ]

Because labor is not the most expensive part of a big mac.

Quote:
Thus the price is not determined by the cost of production of an item. Which means that, if we raise McDonald’s production costs by increasing the wages of the workers, the price isn’t going to change. For it’s not production costs that determine prices: it’s competition that does. Another way to put this is that McDonald’s is already charging us the absolute maximum that it can for its current level of sales. Thus it cannot raise its prices if its production costs go up.

All of which means that the real change in the cost of a Big Mac, or the dollar menu, if McDonald’s workers were paid $15 an hour is: nothing. For production costs simply do not determine the prices that can be achieved in a competitive market.



The Real Change In The Cost Of A Big Mac If McDonald's Workers Were Paid $15 An Hour: Nothing

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
If expenses go up by 100%, wouldn't it make sense that their prices would too? Like a gallon of milk going from $3.50 to $7?


That's a bad example, too.

Milk already sees tons of subsidies, protections, and price floors.

Maybe boneless chicken thighs would be a better one. They're mostly processed stateside, mostly by folks making under $10/hr (as I read in an "Arkansas miracle" op-ed piece), and AFAIK they don't see super huge tax breaks and manipulation. Boneless thighs have been available to me on sale for $2/lb since I started buying my own food in the 1990s.

This seems low, eg, efficient. I keep a few egg laying chickens and when they need slaughter due to old age, I just put them in a hefty bag and send them to the town dump. It's not even worth it to me to pluck and process the things, and I'm so cheap I jump over the electric eye in my garage door to keep the light off.


I just used the most generic grocery store example. What do people seem to always need? Milk, eggs and bread. Lol.

Very interesting about the price of chicken being the same price for so long though. Its about double+ that here at its normal price. Even then its not worth butchering a few chickens IMO. Lol.

 

[hoosierrun]

Entry level pay for an electromechanical tech here is $12.50. With 9 years+ experience you could be making $18-$19 an hour (where I am at now). You must have a minimum of 2 year tech school. You must update your education periodically with new certifications (classes usually paid by company, but it is usually on your time; i.e evening classes at tech school).

How in the world FF workers can demand $15/hr for unskilled labor is beyond my comprehension? To compete, we would need to start our folks here at $16.50 to $18/hr and experienced workers well in the 20's/hr.

The problem I see is that almost every industry would need to increase the pay of their workers, driving the cost of everything up. Within a few years the FF workers would be exactly where they are now, but even worse off. The only winner is the tax collector because then everyone would fall in the 20% to 30% + income tax bracket instead of the current 15%.

On the surface this looks good to the workers, but in the end they will be worst off than they are now. There is no free ride. You must get some skills beyond manual labor to get ahead and it s not easy.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: hoosierrun
Entry level pay for an electromechanical tech here is $12.50. With 9 years+ experience you could be making $18-$19 an hour (where I am at now). You must have a minimum of 2 year tech school. You must update your education periodically with new certifications (classes usually paid by company, but it is usually on your time; i.e evening classes at tech school).

How in the world FF workers can demand $15/hr for unskilled labor is beyond my comprehension? To compete, we would need to start our folks here at $16.50 to $18/hr and experienced workers well in the 20's/hr.

The problem I see is that almost every industry would need to increase the pay of their workers, driving the cost of everything up. Within a few years the FF workers would be exactly where they are now, but even worse off. The only winner is the tax collector because then everyone would fall in the 20% to 30% + income tax bracket instead of the current 15%.

On the surface this looks good to the workers, but in the end they will be worst off than they are now. There is no free ride. You must get some skills beyond manual labor to get ahead and it s not easy.



I think the $15 is a bit extreme to start with atleast, but I can't see a reasonably increased minimum wage leading to excessive inflation? Some prices for some things will go up, but nothing in say a car, has anyone making MW involved in any stage of its production, transportation or sale. Ok maybe cleaning staff, and gas station attendants...
Fresh food prices may creep a bit, but most food commodities have no one making MW involved either.

 

[Mr Nice]

hoosierrun,

What type of equipment do you work on ?

 

[hoosierrun]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
hoosierrun,

What type of equipment do you work on ?



Pumps, motors, compressors, blowers, VFD's, controls, SCADA equipment, Electronic flow meters, conveyor equipment. Some advanced techs work on refrigeration equipment, and occasionally alarm monitoring video/surveillance. Licensed electricians will work on anything up to 480 V. These guys can make up to mid 20's/hr.

I realize theres is some disparity in pay between Southern States and Northern US and Canada, but now many automotive assembly plant workers are in the South, some starting at about the $15/hr. There are almost no unions here and we are right-to-work States. No way you will find a FF worker ever making $15/hr, but it is not unusual to see many making over the minimum, like $8-$9.50. I know it is dang tough to live on that, but it boils down to supply and demand. There are still too many people willing to accept anything for a job. Unfortunately, with an open world market, US workers' pay is moving from above average, to near average for similar worldwide living conditions. I'm not sure what makes us entitled to more?

For the folks that complain about the wide disparity of the rich versus working, I agree... it is disgusting, but I suppose that is the way this Country is set up. We aren't suppose to be a socialist nation (OK I'm about to drift into politics and that is a no no on this board... so I stop here). Good day to all.

 

[Mr Nice]

hoosierrun,

Its been said...
You either own a McDonald's franchise or you are working at one.

LOL

 

[Tempest]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ

The Real Change In The Cost Of A Big Mac If McDonald's Workers Were Paid $15 An Hour: Nothing


Quote:
Doubling of labor costs will simply increase a fast food restaurant’s incentives to adopt technology like this. And if fast food wages doubled everywhere it would spur the development of these technologies even faster.

This. As your link states, increasing the minimum wage will decrease the amount of jobs as employers are forced to turn to automation to maintain the same costs.

People are paid for productivity. If the employer is forced to pay a worker $15 an hour, that labor will need to be worth the wage. Introducing automation, and the skill that goes with how to use it, is the way in which a worker can be worth that $15 an hour.

All of this reduces the amount of low skill / productivity jobs in the market place, and makes it even more difficult for new hires to get jobs, and the experience which will allow them to earn more, later in life.

All of this "help" so that third party observers can feel good about themselves by quashing other people's Right to Contract.

 

[kschachn]

That article is a clear, concise and almost eloquent explanation of why unemployment goes up when the minimum wage is raised. That's a great article.

 

[antiqueshell]

The real issue today is that the number of quality well paying jobs is low, very low and getting worse as each year goes by.

The fact is that many people will simply never be able to
move on to better jobs in the modern economy, so something has to be done so that those stuck in lower level jobs can survive without being reduced to living on a lifetime of welfare.

I agree that the increases have to be reasonable and based on the market you live in, so 15$/hr is reasonable in say NYC, LA, SF, but perhaps 10$/hr is comparable in other markets.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
The real issue today is that the number of quality well paying jobs is low, very low and getting worse as each year goes by.

The fact is that many people will simply never be able to
move on to better jobs in the modern economy, so something has to be done so that those stuck in lower level jobs can survive without being reduced to living on a lifetime of welfare.

I agree that the increases have to be reasonable and based on the market you live in, so 15$/hr is reasonable in say NYC, LA, SF, but perhaps 10$/hr is comparable in other markets.


I agree antique!!