Black Friday - Walmart Strike?

[amg35]

They should. I pay my housekeeper $25/hour.

Why? Why should they be paid $15 an hour?

 

[mefordis]

Why? Why should they be paid $15 an hour?

Or more. It's only 31k a year! Who can live on that and raise a family?

It's better for everyone if people are doing well and can actually afford to buy things like food, medical services, heat, etc. Why would we want to see folks struggle?

 

[mnrose]

We can't because too many people buy their cheap plastic crap at Walmart and Walmart won't pay for US made merchandise when they can outsource it to China. US factories can't compete with slave labor profit margins. Do you see the irony in your post?

Here's another reality. My father last worked for a meat packing plant in rural Minnesota the year I was a senior in high school (1976). His last wage was in the neighborhood of $12-13 an hour, which was a wage that allowed him to buy a home and support his family (not living high on the hog, but not needing government assistance). More than 30 years later, the TOP wage at that same meat packing plant is (gasp) the same as what my Dad made more than 30 years ago! But, hey, we can all buy cheap crap at Walmart and complain about how there are no decent jobs left in America.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Or more. It's only 31k a year! Who can live on that and raise a family?

It's better for everyone if people are doing well and can actually afford to buy things like food, medical services, heat, etc. Why would we want to see folks struggle?

Nobody's supposed to be supporting a family on a WalMart salary. It's an entry level job, not a "career path".

 

[dakcp2001]

Yes, that would be a lot of money for a clerk working in Mississippi. Many degreed professionals--teachers, entry level accountants, etc. do not make this much in Mississippi.

But, while our cost of living is not like that of New York City, I would not consider it a very low cost of living area either.

$15 an hour for Walmart-wow, I can't imagine. I am with those who do not think that minimum wage should be raised. I believe that it would only inflate the prices of other goods and services.

DS is making $8 an hour at American Eagle as a seasonal employee. This is decent for a part time job for a young student. It also teaches him that his higher education is important, because he sees how far $8 an hour does not go.

That is the point. The cost of living is different. You can't see the forest for the trees. Making 15 bucks an hour in NY is not going to be enough to get an apartment. In Mississippi you would be able to have a place to live and put food on the table. Different areas require different wages if people want to have a roof over their head and food on the table. So you (general you here) can't balk at someone making a certain wage if you can't comprehend that their state requires a much higher wage to survive.

A new grad RN in Florida can start at 18-20 bucks an hour. But how much for rent?

A new gran RN in NYC can start at 38-42 an hour. How much for rent?

Every state has its own wage range relative to costs of living. So a nurse working in FL might think a nurse in NYC is way overpaid, but if they tried living there they would see the difference.

 

[amg35]

Or more. It's only 31k a year! Who can live on that and raise a family?

It's better for everyone if people are doing well and can actually afford to buy things like food, medical services, heat, etc. Why would we want to see folks struggle?

You can't raise a family and be a cashier. That's the truth unfortunately. Now I lived on 31k a year when I was first starting out, but that was a job out of college and I was on my own.

Now a waitress....I have a few friends who make awesome money, but they get tips and work at nice restaurants.

If wages go up, prices go up....you know the cycle.....

 

[dakcp2001]

Your housekeeper is making median HOUSEHOLD income if that's the case.

Not in New Jersey!

 

[mefordis]

Nobody's supposed to be supporting a family on a WalMart salary. It's an entry level job, not a "career path".

But many people do have to support a family on that. It's a fact. $15 / hour would not support a family anyway. It's still poverty.

 

[amg35]

Nobody's supposed to be supporting a family on a WalMart salary. It's an entry level job, not a "career path".

You said what I wanted to say, but better. Thanks!

 

[dakcp2001]

Why? Why should they be paid $15 an hour?

Maybe they live in NYC? Where 15 bucks an hour is on the low end. But of course, we are all speculating here on what we think is right, from our own little corners of the universe.

 

[amg35]

But many people do have to support a family on that. It's a fact. $15 / hour would not support a family anyway. It's still poverty.

And that's a sad truth. But it doesn't change the fact that the job duties do not justify a $15 per hour paycheck. (unless that happens to be the minimum wage in your state)

 

[amg35]

Maybe they live in NYC? Where 15 bucks an hour is on the low end. But of course, we are all speculating here on what we think is right, from our own little corners of the universe.

That doesn't change my answers from previous posts though. What is minimum wage in NYC?

 

[Southernmiss]

That is the point. The cost of living is different. You can't see the forest for the trees. Making 15 bucks an hour in NY is not going to be enough to get an apartment. In Mississippi you would be able to have a place to live and put food on the table. Different areas require different wages if people want to have a roof over their head and food on the table. So you (general you here) can't balk at someone making a certain wage if you can't comprehend that their state requires a much higher wage to survive.

A new grad RN in Florida can start at 18-20 bucks an hour. But how much for rent?

A new gran RN in NYC can start at 38-42 an hour. How much for rent?

Every state has its own wage range relative to costs of living. So a nurse working in FL might think a nurse in NYC is way overpaid, but if they tried living there they would see the difference.

I was not disagreeing with your original post that I commented on. Not sure why the bolded was necessary.

I do understand and agree that my area is not as expensive as other areas and agree with the rest of your post.

 

[mefordis]

You can't raise a family and be a cashier. That's the truth unfortunately. Now I lived on 31k a year when I was first starting out, but that was a job out of college and I was on my own.

Now a waitress....I have a few friends who make awesome money, but they get tips and work at nice restaurants.

If wages go up, prices go up....you know the cycle.....

I'd rather pay a little more, consume a little less, and see less people struggling. I know that is an unpopular viewpoint but it is mine.

We consume way too much as a society. And people who consume too much spend too much $$ they really cannot afford to spend and get very anxious over paying a few pennies more.

This, in turn, causes them to take it out on the lower level retail workers and instead of advocating for their fellow man, they want to keep their wages down so they can save a few pennies on their dvds, plastic toys, or whatever other garbage they like to buy.

 

[mefordis]

And that's a sad truth. But it doesn't change the fact that the job duties do not justify a $15 per hour paycheck. (unless that happens to be the minimum wage in your state)

But as an employer it is up to me to determine what pay my employee merits, and I have set that pay at $15/hour. As a result, other housekeepers might find out what she makes and demand that level of pay and if the employer cannot afford it they will just have to clean their own house. See how that works? However, in an affluent area where people will not clean their own houses, they will pony up the $$. Trust me.

I am paying my housekeeper a decent wage and as a result does a spectacular job. We are both happy.

 

[amg35]

I'd rather pay a little more, consume a little less, and see less people struggling. I know that is an unpopular viewpoint but it is mine.

We consume way too much as a society. And people who consume too much spend too much $$ they really cannot afford to spend and get very anxious over paying a few pennies more.

This, in turn, causes them to take it out on the lower level retail workers and instead of advocating for their fellow man, they want to keep their wages down so they can save a few pennies on their dvds, plastic toys, or whatever other garbage they like to buy.

What do you think kids who work in McDonalds should make?

Do you think a kid from high school at Walmart should make the same wage as the adult supporting their family - doing the same job?

It's not as simple as saying I wish everyone could be paid equally no matter what the job! That's been tried, doesn't work out....

 

[Minerva Mouse]

Or more. It's only 31k a year! Who can live on that and raise a family?

It's better for everyone if people are doing well and can actually afford to buy things like food, medical services, heat, etc. Why would we want to see folks struggle?

To answer your question, I can do that.

 

[amg35]

But as an employer it is up to me to determine what pay my employee merits, and I have set that pay at $15/hour. As a result, other housekeepers might find out what she makes and demand that level of pay and if the employer cannot afford it they will just have to clean their own house. See how that works? However, in an affluent area where people will not clean their own houses, they will pony up the $$. Trust me.

I am paying my housekeeper a decent wage and as a result does a spectacular job. We are both happy.

It's a nice idea, but it won't work. Too many factors involved.

 

[mefordis]

I bought my first home in 2004, I was a single mom, receiving NO child support making $8.60 an hour (that's like $18,000 grand a year). Almost half of what your housekeeper makes and my child and I did just fine. We didn't eat steak dinners every night, but we did ok. I was also driving a 2002 Honda Civic at the time, with a car payment.

But to answer your question, I can do that.

In Florida.

 

[mefordis]

It's a nice idea, but it won't work. Too many factors involved.

Works for us.