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In the 1930s many opposed the 40 hr week, the abolition of child employment, and sweatshops.
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In 1933, President Roosevelt advocated a law for better working conditions.
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A survey by the Labor Department's Children's Bureau of a cross section of 449 children in several States showed nearly one-fourth of them working 60 hours or longer a week. The median wage was slightly over $4 a week.
The response of the barbarians of the 1930s:
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Opponents of the bill charged that the bill would lead the country to a "tyrannical industrial dictatorship." They said New Deal rhetoric, like "the smoke screen of the cuttle fish," diverted attention from what amounted to socialist planning. Prosperity, they insisted, depended on the "genius" of American business, but how could business "find any time left to provide jobs if we are to persist in loading upon it these everlastingly multiplying governmental mandates.
The proposal would raise the minimum wage by $1.50 a year through 2020, when it would arrive at $19 per hour. The current minimum wage in Berkeley is $11/hr., so the proposal would increase the minimum wage by 72% in 5 years.
That would increase the wage of fast-food workers and cashiers to nearly $40,000 annual income, or more than the median income for reporters, proofreaders, rehab counsellors, radio/TV announcers and paramedics. How can small business owners possibly absorb up to a 72% increase in labor costs without making drastic cuts or closing their doors? For restaurants, labor is 1/3 of their entire budget -- so a restaurant that has a $1million in annual expenses would be facing about $240,000 (or an extra $650 every day) in additional labor costs to cover this hike.
Just think of all the tasks an employer might hire people to do that are not worth $19 an hour, and not economically feasible to offer perspective employees. Those are the jobs that will go away, and be replace with automation, or more illegal immigrants and others willing to work under the table.
If wages go up so will the price of items. It is simple economics. The money has to come from somewhere.
Only $19 an hour why not round it up to $20? So some kid that is starting his first job and has zero experience would now be making $19 day one. What about the other people who have been there for years and bring real value to the company? Do they make $30 an hour?
There has to be a limit. I eat fast food maybe once or twice a year, so if Burger King is required to pay some pimply faced kid $19 an hour does that mean my Junior Whopper is now going to cost $10 or does it mean that BK is going to cut the quality of the burger and pay less for what goes into it?
$19 an hour sounds good and fair but it is not reality in my world.
Stop making sense. Someone might get offended or something...
Wow..nearly $40K a year for flipping burgers with no HS diploma.
Or the kid pushing a broom at the grocery store, or the guy spinning a sign inthe street corner. This will kill many jobs in Berkley and drive prices up, reducing the purchasing power of the few minimum wage workers who still have a job.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd
If wages go up so will the price of items. It is simple economics. The money has to come from somewhere.
Only $19 an hour why not round it up to $20? So some kid that is starting his first job and has zero experience would now be making $19 day one. What about the other people who have been there for years and bring real value to the company? Do they make $30 an hour?
There has to be a limit. I eat fast food maybe once or twice a year, so if Burger King is required to pay some pimply faced kid $19 an hour does that mean my Junior Whopper is now going to cost $10 or does it mean that BK is going to cut the quality of the burger and pay less for what goes into it?
$19 an hour sounds good and fair but it is not reality in my world.
BK is a bad example, without the minimum wage increase they already have made their food items smaller to save money. This trend ($15 Seattle, $12.25 SF, now $19 Berkeley) will only fuel the faster
conversion to automation in those cities. Any employees left will be 20-something adults probably with degrees, the "pimply faced" kids will have no jobs.
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