Here's why minimum wage sucks

[pimptastic69 0]

My brother is the ops manager/hr manager of a small metal stamping company.

 

Yesterday in Ohio, the minimum wage was increased from 5.15 to 6.85.

 

The "grunts" that are currently making 7.15/hr are now complaining about making "a quarter over minimum wage." (Yeah, I know it's 30 cents.) They all want a dollar per hour raise now. These are mostly guys that live with their parents and go to college part time.

 

This business started out with just a handful of people and has grown to about 25 employees. 20 of them are hourly. 2 of the hourly guys have been there since the beginning, and make pretty good money.

 

Well, guess what? Ends aren't going to meet.

 

My brother was asked to either:

 

Fire all of the $7.15 guys and hire newbies (basically shuts the co. down for hiring and training, likely leading to lost business and further firings. It's extremely difficult to find 18 year olds that will work for just-over-minimum-wage.)

 

Layoff 5 or 6 mid level hourly workers to cover the "grunts" pay increase, since they would also need a pay increase (Fock you grunts, but the likely option.)

 

Layoff both of the original hourly guys that helped build the company. (Backstab-defined.)

 

Everything was fine when the MW was $5.15. Nobody worked for it, and everyone was happy.

[DanXIII 8]

Have your brother tell them to either STFU or find another job.

 

HTH

[DuckStupid 40]

How bout telling the grunt's we ain't making enough money to give you the raise? You can either keep your job as is and we'll take care of you when we can afford it or you can go fock yourselves.

[Boz/BoFan 0]

Have your brother tell them to either STFU or find another job.

 

HTH

 

QUOTE(DanXIII @ Nov 9 2006, 04:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You're the most classless piece of sh!t ever to grace these boards, bar none.

 

 

Talk about classy. Typical liberal hypocrisy. I own you.

[cmh6476 1,023]

let the market determine the wage, not govt mandates

[ROBOKOP 0]

Two options: Unionize or kiss the bosses arse.

[pimptastic69 0]

Have your brother tell them to either STFU or find another job.

 

HTH

 

The grunts or the mid level workers?

[drobeski 3,061]

Two options: Unionize and kiss the BA ass and pay for his many vacations or demand a raise and find a job that pays you what you want without having to pay some slimy greasball to cry for you.

fixed

[pimptastic69 0]

So, the consensus seems to be "don't work for a small business."

[Voltaire 5,298]

Your brother's company focking sucks. Tell him he has to pay people a decent wage now that he can't get away with paying people sh*t anymore.

[TommyGavin 790]

move the company to my neighborhood, I have 30-40 people looking for a days work on my corner every morning. Yeah some ask for 100 a day plus lunch but thats for physical labor - and come 9:00 the ones left are desperate and would do anything not to go home without a days pay.

 

MW SMW

[rallo 136]

I used to work at an aluminum insert sliding company (made walls and shelving for businesses plus the glass sliding doors at target the video games are found in)

 

It was a small business, and they often had a hard time finding enough hours for everyone. What they did was make a "piecework" system where you got paid by the amount of things you finished.

 

before this i used to make exactly $8 an hour. what i did was slide about 530 or so aluminum inserts into a large wooden crate that had slots... i used to make simply the $8 an hour doin that so i'd go at a semi slow/acceptable pace. at this pace it took me like an hour and a half/ two hoursto do one. And if i ran out of them to do i would simply hang around and do unimportant jobs to occupy my time til it was 5 pm.

 

During the summer they switched it to piece work, and they paid $14 dollars a box... at first i thought it was bullsh1t because i figured this was just a way to give me less hours (without technically giving me hours) at about the same wage. I found that after i started actually trying to do the work faster i could do it in far less time. Some fellow co workers and i thought of different ways to speed up the process also.

 

(Also... these dollar amounts are midwest wages)

 

The time to do each box got cut down to between 35-45 minutes... I found that i could make nearly $20 an hour, which isn't bad for grunt work. The business also made money, because they didn't have an obligation to give me 8 hours of work a day. On certain days there would only be like 4 boxes to do, but hell $64 dollars for like 3 hours of work is pretty sweet in the summer when you'd rather be outside golfing or something.

 

So i guess my solution would be to see if there is a way to get off of "hourly wages" and lean more towards piecework. It not only benifits the business by giving workers bonuses for hard work, often times it allows them to make more money in a shorter period of time. More work gets done.

[pimptastic69 0]

Your brother's company focking sucks. Tell him he has to pay people a decent wage now that he can't get away with paying people sh*t anymore.

 

I'm suprised he didn't think of that. Maybe they should all make $40-$50 an hour.

 

That would be awesome.

 

Hell, I'd go work for them at that rate. At least for a day or two.

[mjj 0]

Do nothing. Call their bluff. They were willing to work for that wage before, and nothing has changed to their wage, so I'd do nothing. If anything, give them a cost of living increase that is equivalent to the rate of inflation. Raise them from 7.15 to 7.40!

[Big Blue 06 195]

Tell them "tough sh1t". If they want to quit, then they can quit, but 7.15 was fine before and it's fine now.

[supermike80 1,893]

I guess I don't understand. They are demanding a wage increase....sooo?

DONT GIVE THEM ONE!

 

You might lose an employee or two, but isn't that better than firing the whoel crew?

 

This post makes no sense at all.

[Toro 1]

I guess I don't understand. They are demanding a wage increase....sooo?

DONT GIVE THEM ONE!

 

You might lose an employee or two, but isn't that better than firing the whoel crew?

 

This post makes no sense at all.

 

Better yet, lie to them and tell them you are working on it. Then don't do sh*t.

[Isotopes 1]

I guess I don't understand. They are demanding a wage increase....sooo?

DONT GIVE THEM ONE!

 

You might lose an employee or two, but isn't that better than firing the whoel crew?

 

This post makes no sense at all.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I don't get it

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

Minimum wage increases are occurring to keep up with increases in costs. People not making minimum wage are expecting COLA increases (or better) on a regular basis. These are items that business should plan for. With minimum wage increases, you at least have a ton of notice, so no one should be surprised.

 

There is an old saying that "Lack of planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on my part". Sure sounds like a lot of planning in this organization.

[Voltaire 5,298]

This company makes me sick.

 

Illiterate crack addicts fresh out of prison who stroll in when they feel like it and sleep on the job deserve more money than your brother pays. He's going to find that out in a heartbeat when all his decent people leave on him. The minimum wage exists to keep sh*thole companies like your brother's from exploiting their workers. If he can't make a profit without paying slave labor wages- focking close. Nobody would miss him. If he can't afford to hire help, tell him to do the work his ###### self.

 

People only work there because saying "I work at Sh*thole Manufacturing" sounds better than saying "I work at Burger King."

[Strike 5,478]

This company makes me sick.

 

Illiterate crack addicts fresh out of prison who stroll in when they feel like it and sleep on the job deserve more money than your brother pays. He's going to find that out in a heartbeat when all his decent people leave on him. The minimum wage exists to keep sh*thole companies like your brother's from exploiting their workers. If he can't make a profit without paying slave labor wages- focking close. Nobody would miss him. If he can't afford to hire help, tell him to do the work his ###### self.

 

People only work there because saying "I work at Sh*thole Manufacturing" sounds better than saying "I work at Burger King."

 

Alternatively they could learn an actual skill that would make an employer WANT to pay them more than minimum wage, but god forbid someone have to actually work to improve their lot in life in this country

[jerryskids 6,748]

This company makes me sick.

 

Illiterate crack addicts fresh out of prison who stroll in when they feel like it and sleep on the job deserve more money than your brother pays. He's going to find that out in a heartbeat when all his decent people leave on him. The minimum wage exists to keep sh*thole companies like your brother's from exploiting their workers. If he can't make a profit without paying slave labor wages- focking close. Nobody would miss him. If he can't afford to hire help, tell him to do the work his ###### self.

 

People only work there because saying "I work at Sh*thole Manufacturing" sounds better than saying "I work at Burger King."

Wow. I'll never understand how educated people can think stuff like this.

 

Also, it is unpossible that the minimum wage increase will cause lost jobs. MDC promised me.

[Voltaire 5,298]

Wow. I'll never understand how educated people can think stuff like this.

 

Also, it is unpossible that the minimum wage increase will cause lost jobs. MDC promised me.

 

If it's jobs like this that get lost when the minimum wage goes up, fock all, does anybody care? There's never been a shortage of cr@ptastic jobs like these ones if anybody ever wants one. McDonalds is always hiring. (Probably pays better too).

[cmh6476 1,023]

If it's jobs like this that get lost when the minimum wage goes up, fock all, does anybody care? There's never been a shortage of cr@ptastic jobs like these ones if anybody ever wants one. McDonalds is always hiring. (Probably pays better too).

socialist imperialism from the Far east is obviously rubbing off on you

[Voltaire 5,298]

socialist imperialism from the Far east is obviously rubbing off on you

 

No. My attitude on sh*t like this has it's roots from growing up as 8 Mile white trash.

[cmh6476 1,023]

No. My attitude on sh*t like this has it's roots from growing up as 8 Mile white trash.

raising the minimum wage or implementing a living wage will not help the unfortunate gain wealth.

[Toro 1]

work

 

Shhhh... The democratically controlled congress might hear you.

[edjr 6,580]

The "grunts" that are currently making 7.15/hr

 

 

suddenly life doesn't seem so bad.

 

my 8.50 an hr job on fries at mcdonalds isn't all that bad

 

maybe I should ask for a quarter raise?

[pingpong 0]

Your brother's company focking sucks. Tell him he has to pay people a decent wage now that he can't get away with paying people sh*t anymore.

Apparently you define 'decent wage' as an arbitrary number that politicians determine as opposed to the wage that the market bears.

Our economy is based on supply and demand. Adding legislation to override the system is dangerous IMO.

[cmh6476 1,023]

Apparently you define 'decent wage' as an arbitrary number that politicians determine as opposed to the wage that the market bears.

Our economy is based on supply and demand. Adding legislation to override the system is dangerous IMO.

bingo.

[Voltaire 5,298]

raising the minimum wage or implementing a living wage will not help the unfortunate gain wealth.

 

No, but it'll help them get by and that's the point. You know I'm not about government assistance. I think people should work and where the Dems have always gone wrong in the past is divorcing the concept of work for pay from the concept of entitlement. If people are willing to work, and they have a job, they ought to be able to live off the pay they earn.

 

Further, I've actually spent a couple of weeks working in a sh*thole like this one. Right after I got out of the Army but before college started. Manufacturing jobs are supposed to be, historically have been decent jobs. This place is a pit of exploitation. Fock it. When people on welfare live better than people with jobs, there's a real, real problem. Employment ought to be encourgaged and it ought to be seen as a step up from sitting on your ass collecting government cheese.

 

Apparently you define 'decent wage' as an arbitrary number that politicians determine as opposed to the wage that the market bears.

Our economy is based on supply and demand. Adding legislation to override the system is dangerous IMO.

 

The surplus of unskilled labor (a lot of it illegal) puts downward pressure on wages. It's up to the government to establish a minimum and I think that's a fair role of government.

[Chronic Husker 85]

raising the minimum wage or implementing a living wage will not help the unfortunate gain wealth.

Yeah, but it might help them pay for groceries and their focking heat bill.

[stop talking cheerleader 0]

I worked for my last job for six years...and my pay went down. Did I b!tch, not really, I just told them if they didn't increase my salary I would find another job that could pay me what I thought was far...and I did. I hate people who B!tch about not making enough money...get off your AsS then and go find a better paying job?! If your brother chooses to pay them what he thinks is fair, then it's up to them to find another job that they think will suit their financial needs better. Both sides have a point but in the end your brother is their employer and decides who gets paid what and who stays

[cmh6476 1,023]

Yeah, but it might help them pay for groceries and their focking heat bill.

 

 

so the 15 yr old working for extra money 15 hours a week at a restaurant as a busboy should be making this $7.50 necessarily?

 

It's just not feasible in every instance, and instead of helping this kid in college the restaurant owner might just be forced to live with less employees. One size does not fit all in this instance, and you can't argue that raising the minimum wage is going to mae life better for everyone.

 

Besides, it doesn't really matter anyways cause the net income gain is going to be offset by the increase in price of goods and services resulting from the wage increase.

[Strike 5,478]

It's up to the government to establish a minimum and I think that's a fair role of government.

 

Actually no it's not. That's your opinion and nothing else.

[Uh-huh 0]

Apparently you define 'decent wage' as an arbitrary number that politicians determine as opposed to the wage that the market bears.

Our economy is based on supply and demand. Adding legislation to override the system is dangerous IMO.

How come all of these folks b!tching about raising the minimum wage don't say a word when businesses raise the prices of their products because of "inflation" or "wage increases", or when they implement schemes (e.g. threatening to outsource jobs) to raise productivity levels without increasing wages?

 

Gee, I forgot: all geeks own their own business.

[DrJ 0]

The surplus of unskilled labor (a lot of it illegal) puts downward pressure on wages. It's up to the government to establish a minimum and I think that's a fair role of government.

 

Doesn't this give these employers further incentive to hire those illegals? Anyone can work at these factory jobs, and now the illegals are willing to work for half of minimum rather than 3/4 (arbitrary numbers, you get the point). It certainly becomes a lot more attractive of an option...

 

It encourages larger companies to send these manufacturing facilities to India, where it doesn't cost $7 an hour to drill a hole in a piece of metal.

 

Wouldn't it be better of the government to find a way to get these people job training so they aren't competing against illegals and sweatshops for minimum wage?

[cmh6476 1,023]

How come all of these folks b!tching about raising the minimum wage don't say a word when businesses raise the prices of their products because of "inflation" or "wage increases", or when they implement schemes (e.g. threatening to outsource jobs) to raise productivity levels without increasing wages?

the market will dictate the wage. IMO, if the employee does not offer a fair wage then as stc said, people will look elsewhere for employment. It's not the govts job to implement some sort of mandate, let the market determine wages.

[Uh-huh 0]

the market will dictate the wage. IMO, if the employee does not offer a fair wage then as stc said, people will look elsewhere for employment. It's not the govts job to implement some sort of mandate, let the market determine wages.

For a political operative, you really have very little awareness on how your own country's economy works, don't you? We are dealing with a fundamental philosophical difference here regarding the proper role of government.

 

The problem is that you folks care more about money than you do about people, so you view any sort of governmental regulation to improve the lot of labor (i.e. workers) as meddling.

 

However, when the government takes measures to improve the lot of capital (i.e. business), you are all for that.

 

So be it. To each his/her own opinion.

[Voltaire 5,298]

Actually no it's not. That's your opinion and nothing else.

 

Correct. It's my opinion. Fortunatly my opinion is what is also the law while yours is not.