House Dem: Fast-Food Wage Doubling Would Create ‘Millions of Jobs’

[jamil]

Let's do it. Seriously. Pass whatever they want. If they want $15 an hour, that's fine.

People need to SEE the results first hand. Maybe when everyone is paying $8 for a Big Mac, they'll begin to get it.

That's not going to help. They've been seeing the results for years. The results are, more are unemployed, and more become dependent on the government. Once that happens, they don't care.

Companies will spend their money employing people who give them the best bottom line. So they'll pay fewer people who can operate and maintain automated equipment. Besides, at the rate we're going now, fast food will soon be a "right".

 

[cobber]

That's not going to help. They've been seeing the results for years. The results are, more are unemployed, and more become dependent on the government. Once that happens, they don't care.

Companies will spend their money employing people who give them the best bottom line. So they'll pay fewer people who can operate and maintain automated equipment. Besides, at the rate we're going now, fast food will soon be a "right".

Because as more people become unemployed, they can use that to criticize the greedy corporations and Republican robber barons, and then compassionately offer programs to help the victims of greedy capitalism.

Americans are complete boobs. (I don't mean that in a good way...)

 

[Bunnykid68]

Just from doing a little Googling it looks like manager sat McD's make from $22K -$44K a year. I assume that is the difference from assistant mgr to store mgr. So, if they were to raise the fry guys, burger flippers and CSR's to $15/H they would be making $30/K a year. Who the hell is gonna run the place if the idiots make as much as the management.

 

[mdmayo]

Ah, the fun of hysteria and misinformation. Its funny watching the numbers people are pulling out of their butts.

Field work has been largely automated. That's why your store bought tomatoes taste like water instead of tomatoes. They were bred so that they could withstand machine harvesting, ripen off of the vine, and live long enough to be transported from California to anywhere in the US. Labor costs for farms remained steady though. Why? Because instead of a multitude of low paid workers, they end up with a hand full of high paid workers. Anyone can pick a tomato, not everyone can operate heavy equipment, maintain and repair heavy equipment, etc. Would Burgertron 9000 come into being? Maybe. At least then you'd have some industrial maintenance workers earning a decent rate, and you'd still have to hire cashiers, managers, and people to run the machines.

As we've previously discussed, a Big Mac won't cost $8. Doubling of wages would create about a 12% price increase if McDonalds were to still maintain their $5.5 billion dollars in profit. Why? Easy, Labor is only about 25-30% of the cost of running a restaurant. That includes management and salaried workers who woudn't be affected, as well as fixed costs like worker's comp payments that also wouldn't be changed.

I don't think they'll get their $15/hr. I'm glad they are trying, though. Its funny to see how much anger and ire people trying to make a living wage conjure up here, especially compared to the total apathy when the top 1% screw you out of way more money (and give you nothing for it) by manipulating commodities or using virtual monopolies to fix prices.

^^THIS^^

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Businesses are in business to make money, force them to up their cost and they will simply pass that cost on to the consumer as they have always done.

I suppose the logical thing to do is for everyone to take a reduced salary then. Then the businesses won't have to pass everything on to the consumers and we'll all be able to afford more because we make less. Right?

Did you know Henry Ford paid double the standard factory wage when he started his assembly lines for Model T cars? He certainly didn't HAVE to, and it certainly wasn't out of the kindness of his heart. It was because he knew he was expanding his own customer base. He paid a wage that let his workers afford his product, and created upward wage pressure on other factories so that THOSE workers could also afford his product. Much of the success of the middle class in the last century stemmed from that single decision.

 

[jwh20]

The PJ Tatler » House Dem: Fast-Food Wage Doubling Would Create ?Millions of Jobs?


LOL at another stupid RAT.

When is Guam tipping over?

Hardly! Yet more proof that liberal Democrats have NO IDEA how the economy works. I am ALL FOR HIGHER PAY, but only for higher worth. I'm sorry but the vast majority of FF employees are NOT EVEN WORTH MINIMUM WAGE! How friggin' hard is it to get a burger, fries, and a coke and put it on a tray yet more often than not, this is an incredible challenge for the employee. I say if you are worth more, PROVE IT!

 

[Whosyer]

I suppose the logical thing to do is for everyone to take a reduced salary then. Then the businesses won't have to pass everything on to the consumers and we'll all be able to afford more because we make less. Right?

Did you know Henry Ford paid double the standard factory wage when he started his assembly lines for Model T cars? He certainly didn't HAVE to, and it certainly wasn't out of the kindness of his heart. It was because he knew he was expanding his own customer base. He paid a wage that let his workers afford his product, and created upward wage pressure on other factories so that THOSE workers could also afford his product. Much of the success of the middle class in the last century stemmed from that single decision.

I'm not sure that Ford's logic applies to the topic at hand. Ford kind of had a lock on the market. If his employees made more money, they would buy his cars. If wages went up at other factories, those folks would buy his cars. If wages for workers at McD's or Burger King go up, they are probably going to hit up a Red Lobster or TGI Friday's for date night.

 

[Bunnykid68]

And if the burger makers managed to get a union and $15/hour, other union members will think they deserve raises if people fixing burgers can get paid that much

 

[cobber]

I'm not sure that Ford's logic applies to the topic at hand. Ford kind of had a lock on the market. If his employees made more money, they would buy his cars. If wages went up at other factories, those folks would buy his cars. If wages for workers at McD's or Burger King go up, they are probably going to hit up a Red Lobster or TGI Friday's for date night.

Is making hamburgers the same as assembling automobiles? If so either autoworkers have been overpaid, or fast-food workers underpaid, all these years.

 

[maddawg138]

And if the burger makers managed to get a union and $15/hour, other union members will think they deserve raises if people fixing burgers can get paid that much

and then prices of everything else go up while the people who work retail and other non union jobs get the shaft and cant afford to grab a quick bite on the way to work.


then the lazy people will refuse to make that burger for you and will force the managers to do triple the work they originally were suppose to do and force them to find another job if they can find one.

this whole union thing is just idiotic and i just cannot see any logical reasoning behind it at all......oh wait its the dems that are wanting this so i guess the whole logical thing goes out the window.

 

[Whosyer]

Is making hamburgers the same as assembling automobiles? If so either autoworkers have been overpaid, or fast-food workers underpaid, all these years.

Well, it depends. I worked in a non union auto plant, on a truck chassis line,for almost 12 years. I could train chimpanzees to assemble a truck. Boring,mindless, repetitive work. But, extremely fast paced, and physically demanding. I look at the wages I made, as a down payment on the carpal tunnel syndrome,bad knees,and arthritis , that I currently live with. But yeah, if you can read,and follow directions,potentially, you can be a successful auto worker. At a UAW plant, if your related to somebody, you can probably get by with even less skills.As a matter of fact, I trained several "burger flippers" , that turned out to be excellent auto assemblers. I had several former UAW folks come to our line, that I wouldn't give you a nickel for a train car load of 'em. But getting back to burgers............

 

[spec4]

In a free market, that market would determine, among other things, wages. Not the government. To the best of my knowledge none of these fast food employees are being forced to work against their will. Nor are they prohibited from seeking higher wages elsewhere.

 

[level0]

In a free market, that market would determine, among other things, wages. Not the government. To the best of my knowledge none of these fast food employees are being forced to work against their will. Nor are they prohibited from seeking higher wages elsewhere.

+1.

Minimum wage and supporters can all take a long walk off a short pier, and the sooner the better.

 

[Stschil]

I'm sold, if raising the Minimum Wage is going to skyrocket the economy, lets pay the lazy double that in welfare. That should put us right over the top........oh wait, that already happens.




Never mind

sorry, minimum wage, no skill, no experience jobs are not careers and are not meant to support a family of 4 at the same level of a skilled worker. I supported a family of 6 on the salary of a PFC(E-3) until such time as I got promoted, which happened 6 months prior to the mandatory grade change. I continued to progress and made E-5 in quick order as well. It takes work, dedication, reliability and character. Traits provided by the Individual.
As far as McQueasy's is concerned, a person could become a shift manager in 6-8 months if they applied themselves just because of turn over. More pay equals more responsibility and the converse as well. If Joe blow wants to be a fry tech all his life and not move up the food service pyramid, that's his decision. I'm not a believer in rewarding mediocrity.

 

[netsecurity]

I suppose the logical thing to do is for everyone to take a reduced salary then. Then the businesses won't have to pass everything on to the consumers and we'll all be able to afford more because we make less. Right?

Did you know Henry Ford paid double the standard factory wage when he started his assembly lines for Model T cars? He certainly didn't HAVE to, and it certainly wasn't out of the kindness of his heart. It was because he knew he was expanding his own customer base. He paid a wage that let his workers afford his product, and created upward wage pressure on other factories so that THOSE workers could also afford his product. Much of the success of the middle class in the last century stemmed from that single decision.

Henry Ford practically invented mass production, which is why he knew he could make a profit, and also why he knew his employees would never be idle. His workers surely also had to have more skill than a burger flipper. Any comparison is ridiculous. The fact is, if you want to keep employees, you have to pay them more, and if you don't need to keep employees--say because any 15 year old high school flunky could do the job--then you don't just double their pay. Sorry, but the ignorance here is overwhelming.

Go study history, and see what the policies you are supporting have done to generations or Europeans. Essentially you are promoting Fascism. Bullying the rich because you are jealous of them does not solve any problems--the only likely outcome is to make the rich poor... and that would make the poor even worse off (most likely dead of starvation). Think one step ahead, and not just, "Gee it would sure be nice to make more money."

 

[MisterChester]

At this point it seems that if the minimum wage wasn't changed or abolished, we are going to see an influx of people on welfare. If it's raised, less people will get on welfare. So who would you rather pay for the increase? The government or the business?

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

At this point it seems that if the minimum wage wasn't changed or abolished, we are going to see an influx of people on welfare. If it's raised, less people will get on welfare. So who would you rather pay for the increase? The government or the business?

We'll pay either way.

 

[MCgrease08]

But, what if they cut corners on fixed costs, to make up the difference from the wage increase? Wouldn't the quality of their food suffer?

How could the quality of fast food possibly be worse than it currently is?

 

[actaeon277]

At this point it seems that if the minimum wage wasn't changed or abolished, we are going to see an influx of people on welfare. If it's raised, less people will get on welfare. So who would you rather pay for the increase? The government or the business?

You are assuming those are the only two choices available.

 

[MisterChester]

We'll pay either way.

Yes we will. My main issue is with how wages have been so stagnant, they have not changed much at all regardless of where the economy has been lately. If it does not keep up with inflation and costs of living, that would explain why food stamps are being given at such record numbers. Something is not right with the economy, as things that should happen (wage increases with economic growth) are not happening.