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I went to Wal-Mart and Hardees this morning. I tried to get some deli meat at Wally World, and the clerk was very surly. Only one line was open, backed up with customers, and the cashier there was also very unfriendly. The Hardees was unclean and I ordered a chicken biscuit, and ended up with sausage. If these people can't do better than this, why do they deserve a raise?
Maybe the clerk was surly due to the low hourly wage. As you stated in another thread:
"It's bad news because $10-$11/hr, even with two incomes, isn't enough to maintain a decent standard of living for single adults, much less with kids. This salary is fine for a college kid putting themselves through school or as a second job, but a self-supporting adult at this level of income is probably going to still be getting government benefits of some type - they often won't make enough to cover even a minimal level of expenses.
I'm as conservative as they come, but you're wrong - not everyone wants something handed to them. A lot of people would love the opportunity to have made a living wage here in the Tri-Cities ($15-$16/hr +), but even with a college degree and industry experience, couldn't make ends meet."
"You're right - there is work, but $10-$11 jobs are not sufficient for a working family. That's like $45k for both of you if you're making $11/hr each. If you had a kid or two, two cars, rent, that $45k is barely going to cover the basics, if it will even do that. Two people might be able to scrape by on that, but you're going to be working poor at best.
That's not even an entry level wage for a professional. $10/hr jobs are for high school/college kids, people just reentering the labor force, etc. The fact that you find this low of a wage even mildly acceptable with so much experience shows how far this economy has fallen".
Maybe the clerk was surly due to the low hourly wage. As you stated in another thread:
"It's bad news because $10-$11/hr, even with two incomes, isn't enough to maintain a decent standard of living for single adults, much less with kids. This salary is fine for a college kid putting themselves through school or as a second job, but a self-supporting adult at this level of income is probably going to still be getting government benefits of some type - they often won't make enough to cover even a minimal level of expenses.
I'm as conservative as they come, but you're wrong - not everyone wants something handed to them. A lot of people would love the opportunity to have made a living wage here in the Tri-Cities ($15-$16/hr +), but even with a college degree and industry experience, couldn't make ends meet."
"You're right - there is work, but $10-$11 jobs are not sufficient for a working family. That's like $45k for both of you if you're making $11/hr each. If you had a kid or two, two cars, rent, that $45k is barely going to cover the basics, if it will even do that. Two people might be able to scrape by on that, but you're going to be working poor at best.
That's not even an entry level wage for a professional. $10/hr jobs are for high school/college kids, people just reentering the labor force, etc. The fact that you find this low of a wage even mildly acceptable with so much experience shows how far this economy has fallen".
Anyway, when you go out tomorrow and get 'good' service at some place, will you then recommend a 'raise' for the person?
The question is not whether a wage is sufficient to live on, but whether an entire industry of minimum wage workers deserve $15/hour "just because."
No one in their right mind believes that a Hardees biscuit maker deserves $15/hour. What these people deserve is an opportunity to achieve upward mobility. If they choose to work at minimum wage jobs for the entirety of their lives, then what have they done to deserve higher wages?
Wages are as much about achievement as they are market forces.
You're smart enough to decipher the difference, so why did you post this?
Wal-Mart pretends to pay people, they pretend to work. It takes a very special mindset to be surprised by this.
Funny, but I have to disagree a bit. I think a lot of it comes down to the quality of worker versus the work requirements versus the wage. Stocking shelves can be pretty physical labor. If a person just wants a paycheck, but is not inclined to do the physical labor, then that's really beyond Wal-Mart's control at the hiring stage. Wal-Mart has the option to dispense of the employee if the employee is not meeting work performance standards. If Wal-Mart is not doing that, then that's an internal problem with Wal-mart's performance review system.
Some people will see the value of making money....any money....and do what it takes to earn more through hard work. Others will do the bare minimum to keep from getting fired. It's an age-old problem in any business. I don't think the blame rests at Wal-mart's feet simply due to wages.
I went to Wal-Mart and Hardees this morning. I tried to get some deli meat at Wally World, and the clerk was very surly. Only one line was open, backed up with customers, and the cashier there was also very unfriendly. The Hardees was unclean and I ordered a chicken biscuit, and ended up with sausage. If these people can't do better than this, why do they deserve a raise?
Walmart deli?
I went by once to get some sandwich fixings. I asked for 8oz of smoked turkey.
Clerk gives me a blank look, and says, "Sorry, I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"The machine won't do 8oz."
"Can you manage a half pound?"
"Oh, yes, that will be fine."
She didn't have the wherewithal to know that there are 16oz in a pound.
She has to look at the machine, and has no concept of standard weights and measures.
I went by once to get some sandwich fixings. I asked for 8oz of smoked turkey.
Clerk gives me a blank look, and says, "Sorry, I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"The machine won't do 8oz."
"Can you manage a half pound?"
"Oh, yes, that will be fine."
She didn't have the wherewithal to know that there are 16oz in a pound.
She has to look at the machine, and has no concept of standard weights and measures.
LOL funny but sad.
So, the question then becomes, do we give people jobs even if they are not high achievers educationally? Every retail business has to walk this fine line. While Wal-Mart may not have the personal touch of a mom-n-pop employer, there's still some nobility in the fact that the uneducated are offered an opportunity and the dignity of earning a wage.
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