low salaries (union, company, make money, cost)

[tradlover]

Why is it that construction laborers, janitors and other hard labor intensive jobs give so little pay?

I find it unfair those workers break their backs doing those jobs and all they get is peanuts, the minimum wage.

Those people deserve more WAY MORE!! to make a decent living.

You can't make a decent living on 7.20 Dollars.

[yoyoma02]

The reason the pay is so low is because people don't need to any prior skill or education to do those jobs, meaning that those workers are easily replaceable.

If you owned a business, you would you pay someone $20/hr to clean a toliet when someone else would do it for $7.20?

[slackjaw]

Janitor is hard labor intensive?

[ambient]

Originally Posted by tradlover

Why is it that construction laborers, janitors and other hard labor intensive jobs give so little pay?

I find it unfair those workers break their backs doing those jobs and all they get is peanuts, the minimum wage.

Those people deserve more WAY MORE!! to make a decent living.

You can't make a decent living on 7.20 Dollars.

It is simple economics, right? There is too much supply of those workers relative to the demand, and that's because those jobs generally require minimal specialized skill. And so the equilibrium market wage is low. The key lesson I took away from it all a long time ago is: try like hell not to be one of them, and invest carefully in specialized skills that increase your likelihood of higher pay. You generally get paid a lot more for moving things with your mind than you do with your hands.

[Hemlock140]

Where are janitors and construction laborers only making $7.20/hour? Here the minimum wage is $9.04,
school janitors make $15/hour and up, union construction laborers are $21-$32/hour. Even the guys that hang around the Home Depot parking lot and don't speak English are getting $10-15.

[bobtn]

People are generally paid their replacement wage. That is true of both well paid professionals and unskilled/low-silled labor. The latter is easy to replace; hence its replacement cost is low.

[yoyoma02]

Originally Posted by ambient

You generally get paid a lot more for moving things with your mind than you do with your hands.

This is it. People who work with their mind control the people who work with their body. Is it fair? The people who work with their mind are more educated or have other skills than cleaning or physically moving products.

What's the lesson? Use your mind to make money, not your body.

[Jonathan_]

Originally Posted by tradlover

Why is it that construction laborers, janitors and other hard labor intensive jobs give so little pay?

I find it unfair those workers break their backs doing those jobs and all they get is peanuts, the minimum wage.

Those people deserve more WAY MORE!! to make a decent living.

You can't make a decent living on 7.20 Dollars.

You don't even need a high school diploma for those jobs. It wouldn't be fair for someone with say 10 years of education to make the same as someone with 20 years of education right? That's 10 years of lost income or 10 additional years of income. But like other members said, you get paid more for using your mind rather than your hands. At least a janitor can go home and relax. The job responsibility ends when he/she clocks out. That can't be said for any manager. I understand your point though.

[Caltovegas]

It's because everyone has a back. Not everyone has acquired specialized knowledge that's why it has more value.

[Themanwithnoname]

Ideally you make money corresponding to how much you make or save for the company.

I've got about 15-20 people under me.

The CNC operator makes the company much more money than the part time guy who comes in and empties out the trash!

Am I going to pay the guy doing what I've done on my way out the door $23 that the guy making parts for me makes?

No, if nothing else I'll do it or give the extra time to one of our $8/ hour grunts.

Just like the owners don't want me doing the $8/hour job unless deadlines force it.

Those $8/hour types don't stay at work as long as necessary ether.
I've worked over 65 hours this week... Doing what needs doing.
They leave at 5
(which is why I haven't been around much!)

I also typically save about $4,500/ day for the owners not counting what other things I accomplish.