Fast-food Wages

[_cinepro]

There has been a lot in the news about the recent protests concerning "fast food pay". Yesterday, there were several protests here in Los Angeles.

I went to four different fast food places at lunch time yesterday (2 McDonalds, KFC and Carl's Jr.) to see if they had any striking workers. They didn't appear to be understaffed in any way, and it was business as usual.

Can someone explain how, exactly, these "protests" are supposed to convince the owners of these restaurants (be they franchisees or company owned) to raise their wages beyond what the market will bear? As far as I can tell, the only two things that will bring about changes with wages (up or down) are the availability of workers and their skills, and government wage controls.

Also, why don't they (the protesters) get more creative? For example, they could create a "Living Wage Certified" sticker that can be advertised by restaurants and businesses when they pay their workers whatever the acceptable "Living Wage" is, and then people who care could choose to patronize those restaurants. Or, people could be encouraged to tip the workers at these restaurants, which would directly raise their income and allow those who feel strongly about this issue to directly implement the change they want to see (no pun intended).

The best solution would be for someone to start a fast food restaurant using a Kickstarter campaign or some other source of crowdfunding. Then the unions and others who feel strongly could donate money, and create a restaurant that shows how such a wage system would work in the real world. I'm sure there's a lot of people who would support such a chain.

Ultimately, I suspect there will be a few liberal towns like Santa Monica or Berkley that implement wage controls at the local level, and the rest of the country will carry on.

[_ajax18]

the only two things that will bring about changes with wages (up or down) are the availability of workers and their skills, and government wage controls.

Unfortunately that's three things. I personally don't believe that $15/hr. is a living wage, certainly not in California. But the same people that supposedly want to make wages higher for those at the bottom also want to open the border and allow unlimited immigration thus driving down the price of labor.

[_Quasimodo]

Unfortunately that's three things. I personally don't believe that $15/hr. is a living wage, certainly not in California. But the same people that supposedly want to make wages higher for those at the bottom also want to open the border and allow unlimited immigration thus driving down the price of labor.

I'm confused about that. Who are these people that want unlimited immigration? I'm all for a higher minimum wage. Even if it's not a living wage in CA, it's much better than what they are getting now. Higher minimum wages do not affect competition. If everyone has to pay that then it's an even playing field.

Personally, I'm not in favor of unlimited immigration and I frankly don't know anyone who is. It just muddies the waters.

I'm kidding a little, but I think the U.S. should sell Hawaii to Japan and use the money to buy Mexico. It has vast oil and natural resources, a year round growing climate and should be a paradise for the people that live there if it were not for the outrageous crime and government corruption.

The US forces marched out of Mexico at the end of the Mexican American war in 1847. If they had stayed, Mexico would be the most prosperous State in the U.S. right now.

Acapulco would be better and bigger than Los Angeles. Mexico City would rival New York.

[_Brackite]

From The Huffington Post:

The first protest began at 6 a.m. at a Burger King in South Los Angeles. Dozens of workers carried signs reading “Burgers and Lies,” “Yo Quiero $15,” and “Lovin' a Living Wage,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and was last raised in 2009. In California, it's $8 an hour and was last raised in 2008.

LA fast food workers make a median wage of $9 an hour and $11,232 annually, according to Good Jobs LA.

And yet, given living costs, an adult with one child needs to make $23.53 an hour -- full-time -- to afford the basics in Los Angeles, according to a living-wage calculator by MIT.

The California Restaurant Association contends that fast food workers are paid fairly.

"The reality of the restaurant industry is very different from how it's being portrayed by the labor organizers leading today's protests," Angelica Pappas, communications manager of the California Restaurant Association, said to HuffPost in a statement. "In fact, nearly half of restaurant workers are teenagers and more than 70 percent are younger than 25 who look to the industry for jobs where they can have a flexible schedule while earning an income."

[_ldsfaqs]

I have said before that when it comes to "big corporations" I'm not against them raising the pay to say like $12hr or something.

I can't remember the exact amount, but apparently for Walmart as an example, raising the pay to $12 or whatever would only but like a couple of dimes increase average to each time a person shops. Me personally, I have no problem paying 20 cents more or whatever each time I shop at Walmart if the lower paid workers can get a wage that I could live on and am not even getting myself at the moment.

Of course, the problem is "forcing it". I wouldn't go for that, but I'm not necessarily against people Unionizing and collectively bargaining with Walmart to get a better wage such as that. That's the American way.... Of course, I wouldn't be for this for small company's which clearly couldn't afford it. Plus, Unions really only work with large company's so there can be some leverage and room to maneuver. For example, Bus Drivers got unionized with most bus company's, and they get $12-15 or whatever depending on area. But one small bus company in Carson City NV for example, they aren't union and they pay only $8hr. But, they can do that because most of their workers are retired and thus it's not their living wage, and being a small company such an increase to say $12 wouldn't be feasible. Though, I do believe they could have raised to $10 at least.

Anyway, I'm not necessarily against people protesting to get better wages.
I mean really.... Would any of us mind paying like $.20 cents more so people could have a little better wage when they work at Mickie D's?

I recently worked for Verizon, and I only got $11 hr. and I found it simply unacceptable. Should have been getting at least $13 for the work I was doing. May not seem like much, but it is a big difference when you're poor.

[Guest]

Ya, California is ridiculously expensive.... A simple small apartment there turned into a so-called Condo I couldn't believe costs twice as much as a normal house anywhere else would.

Interesting how the states/city's that maintain some "quality" are ran by liberals but are also hugely expensive to live, yet places ran by conservatives cost very little to live but also still have a quality environment.

More proof that liberalism widens the gap between the rich and poor.

[_ajax18]

The US forces marched out of Mexico at the end of the Mexican American war in 1847. If they had stayed, Mexico would be the most prosperous State in the U.S. right now.

Why did the U.S. decide they didn't want to annex Mexico?

In fact, nearly half of restaurant workers are teenagers and more than 70 percent are younger than 25 who look to the industry for jobs where they can have a flexible schedule while earning an income."

I think that used to be the case. But over the past two decades service industries and even semi skilled labor like construction has relied on cheap adult immigrant labor as opposed to students and young people doing a part time job. WalMart wouldn't even work around college class schedules when I left in 2006.

Who are these people that want unlimited immigration?

Cheap votes on the left, cheap labor on the right

[_ldsfaqs]

The US forces marched out of Mexico at the end of the Mexican American war in 1847. If they had stayed, Mexico would be the most prosperous State in the U.S. right now.

Why did the U.S. decide they didn't want to annex Mexico?

Resources, man-power required, all the mexicans, and America had it's own problems and wasn't entirely into taking over countries per-se. It was simply a strategic decision at the time.

But indeed, if the U.S. had taken it over, it likely wouldn't be the hole it is.

[_Quasimodo]

Resources, man-power required, all the mexicans, and America had it's own problems and wasn't entirely into taking over countries per-se. It was simply a strategic decision at the time.

But indeed, if the U.S. had taken it over, it likely wouldn't be the hole it is.

Oops, your bias is showing! If the U.S. army had stayed, all the "Mexicans" would have been Americans. Just as those of Native American descent in this country are Americans.

Generally, those of Native American descent (I'm including Mexicans because that is who they are) are the hardest working, most honest people in this country.

The corruption in Mexico is a result of the Spanish (European Spanish) system of government. Based on a feudal system. It continues today.

[_ajax18]

People have always taken advantage of other people to better their own standard of living. This defense I hear from the right that these low paying jobs are for students who are likely to move on to something better is bogus. Companies don't want students doing their low wage jobs because they don't want to have to train/retrain and pay the turnover costs. That's why they choose illegal immigrants when they can get away with it. Or they choose someone who is likely to stay in that low wage job for a long time. My question is, "Where do Californians keep their slaves?" Somebody is working at the convenience store, fast food, etc.

And this chorus from the left that they actually want to help people at the bottom is crap as well. Most of them have illegal immigrant maids and nannies watching their children and are paying them under the table. Most Democrats trying to save Detroit probably drive a foreign made car. It's just political posturing to get more votes. When this new immigration bill passes and we get another 20 million new illegal immigrants on top of the drastic increase in legal immigration, wages will continue to go down. Actual wages will be lower as well since many jobs will be strictly on the black market to avoid healthcare costs. The government will punish some businesses for not paying taxes on their workers and turn a blind eye to others. It'll be an even bigger dose of crony capitalism than ever before. That sounds a lot like patronage.