The McJob...The New Normal.

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
If raising the minimum wage worked why hasn't our government passed a new law with higher wages? With this kind of reasoning maybe it should be $25 an hour? Or, how about $30? Or, $40? Oh, and throw in free Obamacare, too. And maternity leave, and sick leave and vacation time and grieving time and don't forget the ever popular mental health days, as well.

I just hope you will like your $24.99 Big Mac, after all you can afford it, now.






Realistically, higher wages wouldn't increase consumer prices very much. Think about how many Big Macs the 10 or so employees working at any given time at McD's can produce. I would rather pay higher prices knowing that someone else isn't living a totally miserable life. But that's just me and my opinion.

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
There are min wage laws here and we are capitalist, so I don't agree with your statement.

Yes, and what does a capitalist business owner do about this? He starts employing people overseas instead.


Not necessarily. Only if he can and wants to. Some things can't be outsourced (yet).

 

[KzMitch]

The guy has three choices.

1) Take his usable skill elsewhere, specifically someone who will recognize his under-appreciated abilities and compensate him better.

2) No usable skill? Work on improving said skills. This may mean night classes, working weekends, going to the library, etc. It would exclude fantasy football, upgrading the phone/tv/car, booze, and getting high. Self reliance is key here.

3) If number 2 isn't the option him, just continue building his home of straw & twigs. And never waste an opportunity to complain to others that the big bad wolf has it in for him.

 

[MalfunctionProne]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
There are min wage laws here and we are capitalist, so I don't agree with your statement.

Yes, and what does a capitalist business owner do about this? He starts employing people overseas instead.


This exactly is what I wanted to be added.

Again: American workers cost a lot to employ. We love it, yeah. But we are spoiled rotten. And we are NOT the only fish in the sea.

 

[MalfunctionProne]

Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
If raising the minimum wage worked why hasn't our government passed a new law with higher wages? With this kind of reasoning maybe it should be $25 an hour? Or, how about $30? Or, $40? Oh, and throw in free Obamacare, too. And maternity leave, and sick leave and vacation time and grieving time and don't forget the ever popular mental health days, as well.

I just hope you will like your $24.99 Big Mac, after all you can afford it, now.






Realistically, higher wages wouldn't increase consumer prices very much. Think about how many Big Macs the 10 or so employees working at any given time at McD's can produce. I would rather pay higher prices knowing that someone else isn't living a totally miserable life. But that's just me and my opinion.


That's Massachusetts...

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: KzMitch
The guy has three choices.

1) Take his usable skill elsewhere, specifically someone who will recognize his under-appreciated abilities and compensate him better.

2) No usable skill? Work on improving said skills. This may mean night classes, working weekends, going to the library, etc. It would exclude fantasy football, upgrading the phone/tv/car, booze, and getting high. Self reliance is key here.

3) If number 2 isn't the option him, just continue building his home of straw & twigs. And never waste an opportunity to complain to others that the big bad wolf has it in for him.


The guy wasn't complaining at all. It just seems sinful to me to pay someone so little for doing so much work. Not to mention the days are pretty much gone of union pensions, so that when his body is worn out from doing all that hard work, they will just throw him away and get another replacement. Pretty sad.

 

[dlundblad]

I have a warehousing job for an online retailer.

While I mainly work in the receiving department, I know how to do basically everything there that is general labor. My boss had me forklift certified 5 years ago which has helped me be more useful as well. I hear folks complain about warehousing work (meeting deadlines, walking, lifting, climbing etc.), but what did they expect it was? It's all in the job description.

This is a good job to reinforce ones decision about furthering their education.

 

[John_K]

Friend of mine works warehouse for a big company, $10 an hour, a few paid days off.

John

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: MalfunctionProne
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: salv
Everyone that works hard at a full time job deserves to earn a livable wage with decent benefits. If that means that it devalues stocks for share holders and cuts into corporate profits, then so be it. Nobody that puts in an honest 40 or 50 hour work week should have to work multiple jobs to feed a family.
I make over $40,000/yr as a service writer, and my job is definitely no more important than a warehouse worker's job. [censored], I can't even drive a forklift.


^^^This post just totally creeps me out.


Why?


Why? Well, if you don't know why those first three sentences should creep somebody out....then it wouldn't do me (or you probably) any good to explain.

It doesn't matter anyway. The people in this country will get what they want eventually.

 

[cashmoney]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx


When you import as much stuff as we do in the US, without much in the way of exports, I would not be worried about retaliatory tariffs. In so far as them working or not working, it worked great for well over a hundred years.



As of latest data on world trade the US was the 3rd largest exporter of goods with an export total of apprx $1,575,000,000,000. That is almost 1.6 trillion dollars of goods and services exported per year by the US. Any tariffs we impose to protect our industries would be rapidly responded to in kind. I do agree that in cases of clear predatory dumping then tariffs have a role to play but for the most part that is not what has been being discussed (competitive labor rates in a global economy).

 

[02SE]

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: 02SE

I would MUCH rather be served by a machine than support somebody that works in fast food at $15 plus an hour.

 

[cashmoney]

Originally Posted By: 02SE

Great post - we are just seeing the very beginning of this wave of machines taking over low skill jobs. Automated kiosks will eliminate most low skilled human waitrons. Additionally automated devices with basic AI capabilities will replace 80% or more of most low skill labor.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: cashmoney

As of latest data on world trade the US was the 3rd largest exporter of goods with an export total of apprx $1,575,000,000,000. That is almost 1.6 trillion dollars of goods and services exported per year by the US.

World's 3rd largest exporter and world's 1st largest importer, with a trade deficit of $471.5 billion in 2013.

 

[cashmoney]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: cashmoney

As of latest data on world trade the US was the 3rd largest exporter of goods with an export total of apprx $1,575,000,000,000. That is almost 1.6 trillion dollars of goods and services exported per year by the US.

World's 3rd largest exporter and world's 1st largest importer, with a trade deficit of $471.5 billion in 2013.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that either. Obviously it is better if trade import/export ratio is closer to equal but we cannot solve the problem by turning back the clock, and rebuilding thousands of low skill assembly line factories to build super cheap goods like China does. Trade imbalances are a problem for countries that export low value materials and import only high value materials. That is not what is happening in the US. And it is why it is so important for the US to have a highly educated super high skill work force that can create high value goods and services. Let the South Koreans work the assembly lines in their car factories. let's have our young people be trained to engineer and design the cars, hybrid propulsion systems, computer systems, and assembly line instead.

 

[dishdude]

I stopped at a Red Robin in Central PA a couple years ago. They had a touchscreen tablet to order from at the table...minimum wage for tipped workers in PA is $2.83 and they still went to a computer to order from.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
As long as we have people, we'll need infrastructure. Check out Mike Rowe Works. There are many jobs in the trades that go unfilled because folks think they need to go to college instead of going to trade school to learn a trade.


Unfilled trades like ???

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: cashmoney
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: cashmoney

As of latest data on world trade the US was the 3rd largest exporter of goods with an export total of apprx $1,575,000,000,000. That is almost 1.6 trillion dollars of goods and services exported per year by the US.

World's 3rd largest exporter and world's 1st largest importer, with a trade deficit of $471.5 billion in 2013.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that either. Obviously it is better if trade import/export ratio is closer to equal but we cannot solve the problem by turning back the clock, and rebuilding thousands of low skill assembly line factories to build super cheap goods like China does. Trade imbalances are a problem for countries that export low value materials and import only high value materials. That is not what is happening in the US. And it is why it is so important for the US to have a highly educated super high skill work force that can create high value goods and services. Let the South Koreans work the assembly lines in their car factories. let's have our young people be trained to engineer and design the cars, hybrid propulsion systems, computer systems, and assembly line instead.



Man, that all sounds good in theory, but in reality not everybody can become a doctor, engineer, etc. Also, you cannot tell that a product is made in China just by the price. Take electronic items like the iphone, for example. That dang thing is expensive! How much more if anything would it be to make it here? So much for low skill jobs being offshored. Electronics is very high tech. I guess we just have to figure out as a country which industries we want to let go. Don't think someone from another country can't do your job either. No one is so special that they can't be replaced by someone/thing cheaper. All this sounds good until it's you eating your own [poop to survive. That's why we need tariffs/unions/wage protection. We should set the high standard. What I'm getting at is some people work very hard for very little. It's not just warehouse work or fast food either.

 

[KzMitch]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Originally Posted By: javacontour
As long as we have people, we'll need infrastructure. Check out Mike Rowe Works. There are many jobs in the trades that go unfilled because folks think they need to go to college instead of going to trade school to learn a trade.


Unfilled trades like ???




Last year, CBS news reported a shortage of skilled machinists. I don't know if they were talking about your town specifically or the country in general. They cited many reasons, one of the main ones being that the children of machinists don't want to work as hard as their parents.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Worry not. The government will solve this problem just like they did with healthcare. What could possibly go wrong? The government is here to take care of you. Now that jobs in aerospace, manufacturing, gas/oil are gone these minimum wage jobs will be the future.