Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.

Our Goals

Higher wages for underpaid workers.
Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
Better and fewer working hours.
Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.

founded 1 year ago

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Got tipping rage? This barista reveals what it's like to be behind the tip screen (www.npr.org)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/workreform

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Excerpt from the article:

Schenker says that after his years in the service industry, he has watched tipping evolve into a major part of his pay.

"If there is some means of tipping that's available to you, that should signal to you that workers there aren't being paid enough," says Schenker. "Tipping is sort of an acknowledgment of that fact."

To Schenker, customers who don't tip are not understanding that businesses treat tips as a baked-in part of workers' wages.

"They subsidize lower prices by paying employees less," he says. "If you aren't tipping, you are taking advantage of that labor."

He was so close... Especially for someone who says himself does not make much money.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

At a glance, this makes sense. As a worker, I get compensated for my work directly by the total of customers I serve.

In practice, however, tipping being optional means that there will always be people who tip less than is appropriate, or not at all. I would guess that it's more likely for those undertippers to be people who are disconnected with the reality of being a service worker who depends on tips, e.g., people who are already wealthy. Which means that the livelihood of tipped workers depends more on less wealthy people (those who have an understanding of the position the service worker is in).

The effect here is that less wealthy customers pay more for their services, and more wealthy customers pay less. Yet another shifting of wealth from the poor to the rich.

Elimination of tipping brings this into a fairer (though still not completely fair) balance.