Fast Food Workers Want $15/hr

[blue22]

In reality, $15.00/hr still doesn't "cut" it for rent, groceries, child care, clothing, car insurance, car payments, and gas...not to mention anything fun you'd like to do, in many areas.
So why the $15.00 mark? Why not $30.00 if it's truly a liveable wage that is desired, and not based on anything other than being able to breathe and show up to do the work more often than not?

The problem with "livable wage" is it's relative to the area. Where I live, $15.00 is beyond livable wage. I don't think a livable wage can even be determined, because what is needed to live is really relative, as well. On top of that, fast food requires no experience, education, or expertise that can demand over double minimum wage to START.

People do have the freedom to seek our living elsewhere. My family moved, so that we could live an in area with a very low cost of living to be easily comfortable. There is no one holding a gun to the heads of these fast food workers in New York. How about instead of thinking everyone owes them something, they learn to live WITHIN the wages their education and experience deserves. If you can't cut it in New York, time to make your life work, and go somewhere that it does. Time to take responsibility for circumstances, and learn to live within you have. I could live fine on minimum wage here.

I'm curious how many of those striking workers have cable, a smart phone, smoke cigarettes, drink alcahol, don't cook at home, have a computer, kept having children despite not making enough money, get their nails done, get their hair dyed, etc.

 

[Charlie09]

The problem with "livable wage" is it's relative to the area. Where I live, $15.00 is beyond livable wage. I don't think a livable wage can even be determined, because what is needed to live is really relative, as well. On top of that, fast food requires no experience, education, or expertise that can demand over double minimum wage to START.

People do have the freedom to seek our living elsewhere. My family moved, so that we could live an in area with a very low cost of living to be easily comfortable. There is no one holding a gun to the heads of these fast food workers in New York. How about instead of thinking everyone owes them something, they learn to live WITHIN the wages their education and experience deserves. If you can't cut it in New York, time to make your life work, and go somewhere that it does. Time to take responsibility for circumstances, and learn to live within you have. I could live fine on minimum wage here.

I'm curious how many of those striking workers have cable, a smart phone, smoke cigarettes, drink alcahol, don't cook at home, have a computer, kept having children despite not making enough money, get their nails done, get their hair dyed, etc.

oooh, i forgot about the smart phone.

I agree with you, and that was my point lower salary, lower responsibility, lower skill set. Not that lower skill sets are not "vital" to our society in general..but picking an arbitrary number and declaring it a living wage doesn't make it so.

 

[blue22]

oooh, i forgot about the smart phone.

I agree with you, and that was my point lower salary, lower responsibility, lower skill set. Not that lower skill sets are not "vital" to our society in general..but picking an arbitrary number and declaring it a living wage doesn't make it so.

Oh, I totally agree with you.

I just got a little ranty

 

[Gardenlady]

The problem with "livable wage" is it's relative to the area. Where I live, $15.00 is beyond livable wage. I don't think a livable wage can even be determined, because what is needed to live is really relative, as well. On top of that, fast food requires no experience, education, or expertise that can demand over double minimum wage to START.

People do have the freedom to seek our living elsewhere. My family moved, so that we could live an in area with a very low cost of living to be easily comfortable. There is no one holding a gun to the heads of these fast food workers in New York. How about instead of thinking everyone owes them something, they learn to live WITHIN the wages their education and experience deserves. If you can't cut it in New York, time to make your life work, and go somewhere that it does. Time to take responsibility for circumstances, and learn to live within you have. I could live fine on minimum wage here.

I'm curious how many of those striking workers have cable, a smart phone, smoke cigarettes, drink alcahol, don't cook at home, have a computer, kept having children despite not making enough money, get their nails done, get their hair dyed, etc.

If you are trying to live on a minimum wage job, how on earth are you going to get the money to move? :facepalm:

People say these things all the time, but don't have a clue how tough it is to be actually poor, or working poor. The times when one could say "just move!", or "just get a different job!", or "you chose this job!", or "work hard and you'll be rewarded!" have been over for a long time in this country. These are cliches that have no meaning in the real world, and come from a place of privilege. Sometimes I wonder if the people saying them are living on another planet.

 

[Charlie09]

If you are trying to live on a minimum wage job, how on earth are you going to get the money to move? :facepalm:

People say these things all the time, but don't have a clue how tough it is to be actually poor, or working poor. The times when one could say "just move!", or "just get a different job!", or "you chose this job!", or "work hard and you'll be rewarded!" have been over for a long time in this country. These are cliches that have no meaning in the real world, and come from a place of privilege. Sometimes I wonder if the people saying them are living on another planet.

Poor and working people move all the time.
Look at all the people that make it here from Mexico, and we all know they don't stay in San Diego and Orange Counties.

 

[blue22]

If you are trying to live on a minimum wage job, how on earth are you going to get the money to move? :facepalm:

People say these things all the time, but don't have a clue how tough it is to be actually poor, or working poor. The times when one could say "just move!", or "just get a different job!", or "you chose this job!", or "work hard and you'll be rewarded!" have been over for a long time in this country. These are cliches that have no meaning in the real world, and come from a place of privilege. Sometimes I wonder if the people saying them are living on another planet.

I grew up poorest of the poor and remained poor until very recently. (Even what we make now, less then $30,000 a year for a family of 3...would not be considered wealthy.)We managed to move. It's not that hard. You pick up and go somewhere else. I have never, NEVER been privileged. I am speaking from experience, because I have lived and functioned nearly my whole life below the poverty level. I DO know what it's like to be poor, and working poor.

Have you ever been destitute? If not, how can you even know if it's hard to move or not? I say these things, because I have lived these things.

 

[melissasmom]

Wow, it's really sad that some people are against everyone earning a decent wage. I mean, Really? REALLY? I am a pretty upbeat person, and I always feel that most people are good at heart. But being in this thread really saddens me. The lack of compassion, vitriol, and bitterness is rather depressing.

I work at an insurance company. I make $12 an hour with so-so benefits. 10 years ago I worked for a different insurance company doing the EXACT same job. I made $22 an hour, with great benefits (and it was 10 years ago!). Gee, why is that? Same job, wide variance in pay range. Oh, I know. At my current the top 5 CEO's have a combined salary of $21 million dollars a year. At my previous company the top 5 CEO's make less than $5 million combined. Little bit of GREED going on there, ya think?

It's very sad that this country has come to a point where we WANT to keep people low, instead of wishing everyone could have a decent life. If other human being don't help their fellow humans and wish them well, who will?

I'm out of this thread, it makes me ill.

edited because my original post made no sense

 

[Charlie09]

That's a pretty broad misinterpretation.
I don't care what people make, the more people make the better. My point is $15.00/hr is arbitrary and if we really wanted to make it a living wage, what is wrong with requiring employers to pay $30.00 an hour?

 

[blue22]

Wow, it's really sad that some people are against everyone earning a decent wage. I mean, Really? REALLY? I am a pretty upbeat person, and I always feel that most people are good at heart. But being in this thread really saddens me. The lack of compassion, vitriol, and bitterness is rather depressing.

I work at an insurance company. I make $12 an hour with so-so benefits. 10 years ago I worked for a different insurance company doing the EXACT same job. I made $22 an hour, with great benefits (and it was 10 years ago!). Gee, why is that? Same job, wide variance in pay range. Oh, I know. At my current the top 5 CEO's have a combined salary of $21 million dollars a year. At my previous company the top 5 CEO's make less than $5 million combined. Little bit of GREED going on there, ya think?

It's very sad that this country has come to a point where we WANT to keep people low, instead of wishing everyone could have a decent life. If other human being don't help their fellow humans and wish them well, who will?

I'm out of this thread, it makes me ill.

edited because my original post made no sense

You know, I don't want to keep anyone down. Not at all. I am simply frustrated with the propensity in this country, for people to think they are owed something. People want someone else to improve their situation. They want someone else to give them opportunity. They want someone else to make their life better.

In the past, people didn't expect others to improve their quality of life. They didn't demand double pay, because they have a hard time making it. They figured out a way to survive. If we got back to THAT mentality instead of, "I'm hard off, why isn't everyone helping me," "Why don't you make my life better" we would have a better system. Wanting a raise, because you've worked somewhere an appropriate time, and worked hard. Great. People should be able to do that. Wanting better conditions. Great, we all deserve sanitary and fair conditions. Screaming from the streets that you can't make enough, so you better double my pay or we're walking out? No. That's beyond entitlement.

 

[Gardenlady]

Are people not owed the dignity of a fair wage that they can support themselves and their families on, simply for the fact that they're fellow human beings?

 

[longtallcold]

You know, I don't want to keep anyone down. Not at all. I am simply frustrated with the propensity in this country, for people to think they are owed something. People want someone else to improve their situation. They want someone else to give them opportunity. They want someone else to make their life better.

In the past, people didn't expect others to improve their quality of life. They didn't demand double pay, because they have a hard time making it. They figured out a way to survive. If we got back to THAT mentality instead of, "I'm hard off, why isn't everyone helping me," "Why don't you make my life better" we would have a better system. Wanting a raise, because you've worked somewhere an appropriate time, and worked hard. Great. People should be able to do that. Wanting better conditions. Great, we all deserve sanitary and fair conditions. Screaming from the streets that you can't make enough, so you better double my pay or we're walking out? No. That's beyond entitlement.

THIS POST! especially the BBM part....but all of it, is precisely what irks most of us.. not that we wanna "keep people down". The sense of entitlement today kills me. I make less than the $15 arbitrary threshold, have a BS degree, and support a family of 3. No gov't help, no child support, and I pay daycare...but I live within my means. I shop sales and clip coupons, I shop for clothes at salvation army, I have a dumb phone, I don't buy "stuff" for the sake of having "stuff", I plan and budget. I live paycheck to paycheck, but I choose to make it work. In a family of 2 adults and 2 children, both adults work fro $8/hr there is no reason that is not enough. Rent too high? Get a roommate. There are solutions, ones that many of us dealt with 20 years ago, but nowadays hands are out all over the place wanting others to do it for them.

Like I said before, you want to make more at your current job? Offer to learn/take on new responsibilities...Get to know your neighbors so you can trade services...ie take turns driving, take turns watching kids if shifts are different...get creative, we are all in this together, but for people to sit with their hands out saying "pay me double for the same amount of work" is ridiculous and just not going to happen.

 

[longtallcold]

1993: minimum wage was 4.61 Average Monthly Rent $532.00 Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.16 Movie Ticket $4.14 Average cost of new car $12,750.00 Loaf of Bread $1.57

aside from gas, things have increased as minimum wage did IMO

 

[Karmady]

Are people not owed the dignity of a fair wage that they can support themselves and their families on, simply for the fact that they're fellow human beings?

Over $7/hr is, imo, more than fair for stuffing food in a bag and handing it out a window. One of the minimum wage jobs at McDonalds. And many of them do it badly and/or with attitude in my experience. jmo

eta: And, no, you shouldn't be able to support a family doing such a job and shouldn't expect to. That's absurd. Also imo.

 

[blue22]

Are people not owed the dignity of a fair wage that they can support themselves and their families on, simply for the fact that they're fellow human beings?

Again, what is a "fair" wage? What is the arbitrary number we can out out of our hats that is "fair?" I don't ask that to be condescending, truly. I am very curious about what others consider a fair wage.
I think the struggle is, we (and I mean society in general) can't say what people need to survive. There is such a skewed view in our country, about what is a need and a want. I have a family living across the street from me who are ALWAYS complaining and worrying about their struggle to survive and their wages. Well, the wife just had her seventh baby. Is she owed a "fair" wage to take care of the family, when she couldn't even support the first child. My husband works with a man who is always asking for raises, and hard up for money. He smokes cigarettes, weed, and drinks much alcohol. Does he deserve the "fair" wage so he can survive as is?

If someone has a floor to sleep on with four walls, plumbing, electricity, food on their table and clothing to wear...they don't NEED more to survive. (Unless they are on necessary medications, of course.) People want fair wages, to live how they would like to, not to survive. NO, people are not owed pay to live how they think they want to or should. They are owed wages to survive, unless they have credentials, education, and experience to qualify for more.

The problem in my eyes, is people EXPECT to support a family flipping burgers and filling soda cups. Menial jobs are not meant for that.

 

[Charlie09]

Are people not owed the dignity of a fair wage that they can support themselves and their families on, simply for the fact that they're fellow human beings?

Really?

Why won't the fair wage proponents explain how they come up with $15.00 is more fair than $30.00 an hour

 

[Odyssey]

Wow, it's really sad that some people are against everyone earning a decent wage. I mean, Really? REALLY? I am a pretty upbeat person, and I always feel that most people are good at heart. But being in this thread really saddens me. The lack of compassion, vitriol, and bitterness is rather depressing.

I work at an insurance company. I make $12 an hour with so-so benefits. 10 years ago I worked for a different insurance company doing the EXACT same job. I made $22 an hour, with great benefits (and it was 10 years ago!). Gee, why is that? Same job, wide variance in pay range. Oh, I know. At my current the top 5 CEO's have a combined salary of $21 million dollars a year. At my previous company the top 5 CEO's make less than $5 million combined. Little bit of GREED going on there, ya think?

It's very sad that this country has come to a point where we WANT to keep people low, instead of wishing everyone could have a decent life. If other human being don't help their fellow humans and wish them well, who will?

I'm out of this thread, it makes me ill.

edited because my original post made no sense

It's not about being 'against' fair wages, it's more about looking at the reality of it. If they raise the wages to SKILLED WORKER wages, these same workers who are protesting will be competing against SKILLED WORKERS for these jobs, and they're going to lose. Then they'll still be low income, only their low income will be on YOUR dime while they don't work at all.

I suppose this would help the skilled worker who is out of work, but pricing the unskilled worker out of the job market altogether isn't the solution.

I'd rather see a public assistance system that supplements low income workers and restricts benefits to those who are able but not working. Instead, they say "Oh, you have a job so we're discontinuing all your benefits."

Backwards if you ask me, but that's a whole separate topic.

 

[Ada]

If they raise fast food worker's wages to 15 bucks an hour, where I live, they will be on par with school teachers, fire fighters, police officers and EMTs. Sounds fair to me, right? /sarcasm

 

[txsvicki]

No one could make minimum wage and live outside a slum or have a vehicle. It would be enough for a cheap apt., one person's food, bus transportation, toiletries, and a phone. That's about it. Maybe they want more so they can afford a vehicle and dental care. Some people working for low wages aren't just slackers and college droputs. Some may just not be able to find good jobs or could have disabilities, or any number of reasons. If every working person got great educations and really tries to find good pay I don't think there would be enough jobs to around. It would all be back to being forced into low wages for many.

 

[Roxye]

You know, I don't want to keep anyone down. Not at all. I am simply frustrated with the propensity in this country, for people to think they are owed something. People want someone else to improve their situation. They want someone else to give them opportunity. They want someone else to make their life better.

In the past, people didn't expect others to improve their quality of life. They didn't demand double pay, because they have a hard time making it. They figured out a way to survive. If we got back to THAT mentality instead of, "I'm hard off, why isn't everyone helping me," "Why don't you make my life better" we would have a better system. Wanting a raise, because you've worked somewhere an appropriate time, and worked hard. Great. People should be able to do that. Wanting better conditions. Great, we all deserve sanitary and fair conditions. Screaming from the streets that you can't make enough, so you better double my pay or we're walking out? No. That's beyond entitlement.

My son's step-mom (whom I love btw) has been working child care for 10 years. She teaches 4 to 5 year olds, which makes her a preschool teacher (she has to make weekly lesson plans). She just got a raise in April, she now make 13$ and hour to teach YOUR kids.

SHE is a SKILLED worker. Flipping burgers is not a SKILLED labor!

If ANYONE needs to strike it is teachers and daycare teachers.

 

[animlzrule]

Wow, it's really sad that some people are against everyone earning a decent wage. I mean, Really? REALLY? I am a pretty upbeat person, and I always feel that most people are good at heart. But being in this thread really saddens me. The lack of compassion, vitriol, and bitterness is rather depressing.

I work at an insurance company. I make $12 an hour with so-so benefits. 10 years ago I worked for a different insurance company doing the EXACT same job. I made $22 an hour, with great benefits (and it was 10 years ago!). Gee, why is that? Same job, wide variance in pay range. Oh, I know. At my current the top 5 CEO's have a combined salary of $21 million dollars a year. At my previous company the top 5 CEO's make less than $5 million combined. Little bit of GREED going on there, ya think?

It's very sad that this country has come to a point where we WANT to keep people low, instead of wishing everyone could have a decent life. If other human being don't help their fellow humans and wish them well, who will?

I'm out of this thread, it makes me ill.

edited because my original post made no sense

I agree Melissa's Mom. As I said in an earlier post, there's an awful lot of spitefulness and hubris on display in this thread. As for what might constitute a fair wage, this is a starting point, as delineated by the Fair Minimum Wage Act:

The federal minimum wage has lost more than 30% of its value and would be more than $10.59 per hour today if it had kept pace with the cost of living over the past forty years.

http://www.raisetheminimumwage.com/pages/fair-minimum-wage-act-of-2013

I don't know what the "more than" would be, or how it would be determined, but even increasing to $10.59 per hour is a start. But no, lets just keep the minions in their place. After all, how would we be able to measure our own worth to society if not for our ability to sneer at the unwashed masses.....:facepalm::sigh: