Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Many of these things increased along with inflation. Health insurance is a different story, but 1/3rd of our population is obese. Of course that will come at a cost. Maybe if we had more opportunity to exchange sweat equity on the job, that problem may result. We have a whole lot of illegals in this country doing the actual work though, and a lot of other industries have been packed up in search of the cheapest laborer.
With these increases, what didn't increase was the worker's take home pay. Hence, the extreme value market shopping everyone with a little money is engaging in. When people had more discretionary spending $$$, they didn't mind paying enough to support a healthy profit margin, and sales we enough to sustain natural business growth.
And regarding minimum wage, adjusted for inflation, it was higher in 1970.
What we should have done if we had a minimum wage at all is to have one that includes all of the costs, including benes, which would motivate employees to use some cost control with others wallets, as obesity driving up employer costs, would reduce what is left as the minimum wage.
My husband got a job driving a delivery truck for $7/hour in the mid '80's. That was considered a low wage back then. Now, almost 30 years later, similar jobs pay the exact same amount.
When I moved to the Chicago area in 2000 the local grocery store started their employees at $7.25/h. Now, twelve years later, they pay new employees $8.25, a 12% increase, and that's only because that's Illinois minimum wage. In the same time period a gallon of milk has gone up by 30% and many other products have gone up by similar amounts. Please tell me why wages could not have gone up at the same rate as everything else?
Benefit costs, especially Health Care, exploded during the same timeframe. If you turn in your insurance and could waive your rights to it during all future enrollment periods, your boss would happily split the cost savings with you.
I really don't thni so . Unions i time got to be porice setting monpolies and limiting memebrship. Lie beig i the Mob really.You owed your soul and job to the unioi leadership. Turned into just anther good ole boy system that evtua;lly lead to teh demise of many american inductries being able to compete.
What we should have done if we had a minimum wage at all is to have one that includes all of the costs, including benes, which would motivate employees to use some cost control with others wallets, as obesity driving up employer costs, would reduce what is left as the minimum wage.
I doubt there are any minimum wage jobs that include benefits. You could bring up the issue of FICA and all that, but the same burger joint down the street has to pay that as well. Yes, they cost something out of the owners pocket, but every game in town has to pay into them, so it's a level playing field.
I doubt there are any minimum wage jobs that include benefits. You could bring up the issue of FICA and all that, but the same burger joint down the street has to pay that as well. Yes, they cost something out of the owners pocket, but every game in town has to pay into them, so it's a level playing field.
That would be news to my sister, or her coworkers. Wal Mart insures about 1/2 its employees; Wal Greens an even higher percentage. Now they do not often start folks at minimum, usually about a quarter an hour more.
I doubt there are any minimum wage jobs that include benefits. You could bring up the issue of FICA and all that, but the same burger joint down the street has to pay that as well. Yes, they cost something out of the owners pocket, but every game in town has to pay into them, so it's a level playing field.
This is partly why I wish that the US had universal healthcare. It would actually take that burden away from employers. Helathcare should not be tied to employment, period.
Plus, the Health Care employer portion cost is equal to another $2.50 per hour per person covered. Or $20 per day per beneficiary.
And how many of those ground level, quarter above minimum wage worker are being given enough hours to quality for the health insurance? And how many could even afford the employee portion of the payment? I could only imagine how many would opt out to put a little extra money in their paycheck to feed the family, and prey nothing bad happens until something better comes along.
When you say 1/2 of the workers are insured, which would fit the bill... Corporate headquarters or Brenda the grocery bagger?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Or $20 per day per beneficiary.
