Chicago "Cook County" Approves $13.00 hr Minimum Wage (Cicero: 2015, home)

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by nana053

The economic consensus is that minimum wage and minimum wage increases do NOT cause more unemployment.

https://www.dol.gov/featured/minimum-wage/mythbuster

It's all up to the company.

And that vastly is determined by how successful the company is.

A big, multi-billion corporation like McDonald's and Target are not going to be affected by minimum wage increase.

But a smaller, independently owned, especially mom and pop's shop, is.

The companies that are hurt the most are the ones that are struggling. And yes, society hates companies that are barely surviving - why don't they just go away. Some could even declare bankruptcy.

I personally know people whom are paid below minimum wage, or work overtime with no 1.5x increase, and they won't go after the company because it's family-owned and family-run.

As for your article, be careful it isn't talking about an increase, 1 quarter at a time. It doesn't seem to say the incremental amount.

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Minimum wage laws were established to prevent poorer workers from competing with workers who were better off.

The fundamental point - all a minimum wage law does it say that even though Joe is willing to work for $8/hour and even though Jack is willing to pay him $8/hour, the 2 of them cannot do so because it is unfair to someone else.

Minimum wage laws are established to prevent companies from exploiting desperate workers. Desperate workers will work under unsafe conditions, for unfair wages. We as a society create laws to prevent deplorable behavior by businesses since the law and money are their only moral compass.

I am fine with the min wage increase though I think the Cook County gov is getting increasingly uppity with their soda tax and now this. It is really outside their purview. It should be done at the state and national level.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

Minimum wage laws are established to prevent companies from exploiting desperate workers.

Not quite, although that could be a good 2nd reason. The reason isn't so more the company, but the stupidity of the employees, that are willing to work poor wages. If that were the case, workers should go on strike, forcing the company to do something about it, but not all of the times are workers intelligent enough for.

Which you emphasize below:

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

Desperate workers will work under unsafe conditions, for unfair wages.

Yep, there's always stupid people willing to work unsafe conditions for low wages. I think the government as a whole also feel morally obligated to intervene from those that want to commit suicide - I believe in California, it is illegal to attempt to.

I personally could never want to work minimum wage with a bachelor's degree. But there are certainly others "more desperate" than me.

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

We as a society create laws to prevent deplorable behavior by businesses since the law and money are their only moral compass.

This is also a good argument for why prostitution should stay illegal - it's unfair to the ugly women.

And it's also unfair - from an outsider point of view - for stupid men that are willing to spend all their $ and go broke for it. A lot of laws have to exist from human stupidity.

[joee5]

Still not enough to support a family on. But a step in the right direction

[deeman7]

Originally Posted by joee5

Still not enough to support a family on. But a step in the right direction

Why should EVERY job should be enough to support a family on. This is what doesn't make sense to me.


Minimum wage jobs are for teenagers, entry level, someone wanting to work extra hours to make a few extra bucks, those unable to find work elsewhere etc.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by deeman7

Why should EVERY job should be enough to support a family on. This is what doesn't make sense to me.


Minimum wage jobs are for teenagers, entry level, someone wanting to work extra hours to make a few extra bucks, those unable to find work elsewhere etc.

What about people who got laid off and then are forced to work a position like this despite the fact they have a lot of experience? Do they not deserve to be able to support their family?

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

What about people who got laid off and then are forced to work a position like this despite the fact they have a lot of experience? Do they not deserve to be able to support their family?

And what about people that are laid off, and all the minimum wage jobs are filled, so they therefore they cannot even get a minimum wage job. So now they become and stay unemployed? Should workers comp or whatever pay a wage to support family?

That's a risk you have when you're paying a mortgage isn't it. You'd have to sell your house and move into an apartment.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

And what about people that are laid off, and all the minimum wage jobs are filled, so they therefore they cannot even get a minimum wage job. So now they become and stay unemployed? Should workers comp or whatever pay a wage to support family?

That's a risk you have when you're paying a mortgage isn't it. You'd have to sell your house and move into an apartment.

You are implying that raising the wage makes it harder for people to get jobs. Show me where this had happened? It seems to be working out West.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

You are implying that raising the wage makes it harder for people to get jobs. Show me where this had happened? It seems to be working out West.

Okay cool, let's change the subject for a bit.

So you want stories?

I was doing an intern in a company called Ecoco, off Armitage and Cicero, in June, which is before the minimum wage increase July 1st. So in June I asked about someone there about it, and he says yea, the company will lay some of the factory workers off due to the minimum wage increase.

So basically, the rich don't ever take a hit. If they were forced to pay their employees higher wages, then they would lay more people off.

A newsarticle about the Chicago's minimum wage plan to reach $13/hour, Berghoff's restaurant in downtown has said they are glad to have a minimum wage increase, but not to $13/hour, which they said is too high. I guess that implies, they will lay people off.. Not when it hits $10/hour, but when it hits $13/hour.

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Funny how in your counter-example, you use someone who's above minimum wage paying job, gets laid off. How did he get laid of?

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by ARaider08

Good.

It'll be good for DuPage County!