this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
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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.
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- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
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- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
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And federal minimum wage is $7.25 or 15,080 before taxes. Which is about 1/3rd of the lowest in this article (Mississippi at 45,906)
Name 1 job title that actually makes federal minimum wage. I dont mean service or gig workers either because that can vary wildly
I made minimum wage at Shopko and had lots of coworkers that were adults with no other prospects.
When was this and what state? I inherently dont believe anyone is making federal minimum wage in 2023 other than slave workers aka prisoners or bracero type field workers
Well, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, 1.6 million workers are at or below the federal minimum wadge. And I could break down the groups for you to show you it's more than prisoners and field workers. But seeing as you could have just googled it yourself instead of incredulously asking internet strangers for anecdotal evidence, I'll assume doing so would be a waste of my time.
Still, if you are genuinely curious, here is the report I mentioned.
Prisoners make significantly less than min wage in most cases. In my area it’s $1/day.
Store associate. Though the ones you've mentioned only "vary wildly" because the scam that is tipping culture (no offense to those that have those jobs but all companies should pay fair wages and not impose on their customers/patrons) and gig work are short/niche/temporary work to fill a need or gaps in industries.
Let's clarify things:
Only 1.4% of US workers are paid minimum wage.
Yeah, keep pounding the "...but, but, but minimum wage" drum and lose all credibility. You are making a disingenuous argument by endlessly talking about a wage that essentially no one is making. Anyone with even the most basic skill of breathing will be making more than minimum wage, and even skill-free jobs like McDonalds have been advertising hourly rates of $10, 12, something even 15 or more an hour.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/188206/share-of-workers-paid-hourly-rates-at-or-below-minimum-wage-since-1979/
I'll keep beating the horse because even if there's hardly any jobs that pay that low, the principle of "this is the minimum amount someone needs to earn to live reasonably" doesn't keep up with the markets and the times, then it only widens the gap of what becomes poverty. Even as other comments have stated that the averages are skewed between the differences of income and cost of living in either rural or cities in these states, my statement isn't any less valid. Even the existence of such thing as minimum wage was to try and prevent companies from exploiting workers and government is meant to act and protect the interests of its populace, yet here we are where the largest type of theft is wage theft. If the government was doing their job and keeping companies in check, we wouldn't be reliving history of tent cities. If you got a good job and you're comfortable, great! Proud of you! Though don't join in others of the idea of "if people I think lesser than me can live as comfortable as I am, then that's a problem." We're all human and need the same stuff, if anyone's wants are going to get in the way of others needs, there's the real problem.
You must have missed his point about minimum wage being only 1/3 of the lowest yearly income listed in the article. When it should, for all intents and purposes, be the minimum amount a full time worker would need for a living wage. And as FDR said,
So, 2/3rds of the minimum amount you need, thanks for pointing out that $15 isn't enough, you are totally right that we need a higher minimum wage.
Every number you just quote from McD's are still really low. The point stands that minimum wage is way too low to do its job. It's supposed to raise working Americans out of poverty. All you've done is show that the current federal minimum wage is so pathetic you can double it and still be broke af.
Also... 1.4% of Americans is still hundreds of thousands of people. They matter. They deserve a living wage.
McDonald's pays $22 an hour around here.
Yeah, $22 hr at 15hrs a week. $17k a year.