The answer to $15.00 Hour fast food restaurant wages

[Happyinwonerland]

It used to ne that way . Today they get that promotion to manager, then get downsized and are back in a minimum wage job. Which is why so many fast food workers have college degrees.

You get downsized, you figure out how to make it work. You get some additional certifications to make yourself marketable, you go back to school to learn a different career, you branch off into your own business. What you don't do is throw your hands up and say I give up, I'll just stay in this low level job forever.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

Nobody is denying them the necessities of life. There are ways to get by when you are low income. Shared housing, working multiple jobs, government assistance. There is no reason anyone should go without basic food shelter and healthcare.

A worker should find a way to 'get by' on $7.25 per hour but employers shouldn't have to find a way to pay minimum wage, provide raises, health care, or retirement plans.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

 

[Mom of a great kid]

You get downsized, you figure out how to make it work. You get some additional certifications to make yourself marketable, you go back to school to learn a different career, you branch off into your own business. What you don't do is throw your hands up and say I give up, I'll just stay in this low level job forever.

A person may only be in that low-level job for a while, but he or she still needs a living wage.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

all the talk about fast food, what about retail, 40 years ago you could work in retail and survive like a job at macys or sears, now they are all minimum wage. We knew a kid who worked at office depot, 32 3/4 hours a week so they could call it part time, no raises, no vacartion no sick time, no nothing, minum wage. The only one who made more was a single manager. This has to end, this country can not survive on that attitude towards employees

Everyone shops online anyway. I can pick out my own shoes/underwear/housewares. I don't need a salesman in my face trying to up sell me. Those jobs are disappearing because the workers were overpaid and now it's all done on a computer.

When I was 18/19 and in college I worked at Walmart for about a year. It paid somewhere around $9/hr, and it was full time. That was a good wage, I think min. wage was like $5.50/hr. But I knew it wasn't a wage that would allow me to live by myself. So I got a few roommates to split the bills, I drove an older car. I bought clothes off the clearance rack. At Christmas and birthdays I would ask for things I needed, like a good pair of shoes, instead of frivolous things I wanted. And I got through college and worked hard and earned enough money to not need to live like that. I knew going into that job that walmart was not a job that would support me forever, and I had a plan to use it as a stepping stone to where I wanted to be. If an adult chooses to work an office depot/walmart cashier /fast food food type of job, for their entire careers, then they need to accept that they are not going to drive nice cars or eat high cost meals. They may need to share a home with another family , always shop clearance. Learn to coupon. There are economies that have to be mad eat every income level, and if that is the career they choose, they should be adult enough to accept that their choice only gives them a very basic lifestlye. Complaining about not earning a living wage is useless.

 

[longboard55]

Not so fast on the multiple jobs, what most of these bottom feeder employers also want is a "Flexible" schedule, so they email you sunday night for the next week hours

 

[longboard55]

Everyone shops online anyway. I can pick out my own shoes/underwear/housewares. I don't need a salesman in my face trying to up sell me. Those jobs are disappearing because the workers were overpaid and now it's all done on a computer.

When I was 18/19 and in college I worked at Walmart for about a year. It paid somewhere around $9/hr, and it was full time. That was a good wage, I think min. wage was like $5.50/hr. But I knew it wasn't a wage that would allow me to live by myself. So I got a few roommates to split the bills, I drove an older car. I bought clothes off the clearance rack. At Christmas and birthdays I would ask for things I needed, like a good pair of shoes, instead of frivolous things I wanted. And I got through college and worked hard and earned enough money to not need to live like that. I knew going into that job that walmart was not a job that would support me forever, and I had a plan to use it as a stepping stone to where I wanted to be. If an adult chooses to work an office depot/walmart cashier /fast food food type of job, for their entire careers, then they need to accept that they are not going to drive nice cars or eat high cost meals. They may need to share a home with another family , always shop clearance. Learn to coupon. There are economies that have to be mad eat every income level, and if that is the career they choose, they should be adult enough to accept that their choice only gives them a very basic lifestlye. Complaining about not earning a living wage is useless.

We only need so many dentists, retail is the nations biggest employer, how can we call that a starter job.

 

[manning]

I guess if you are Walmart that would be great! I have limited ability to make money being in the service industry. My only option is to raise prices.

Or educate (college/trade) yourself. The more you know the more valuable you are. The more valuable you are increases your chance to move up to a livable wage. You don't believe it? Ask Ben Carson. He grew up poor and ended up as a highly skilled surgeon.

My dad used to say 'the only thing you are entitled to is dying. we all do. You want to improve yourself work your butt off '. He must have known what he was saying. He had to quit school at 8th grade. He ended up making a very good wage as a pipe fitter. He took the time to educate himself. He was no dummy. When I was taking algebra/trig in high school. he would run rings around me. Not only could he do the problem, he could explain it. He also knew some different ways to solve the problem. One teacher didn't like the way I solved a problem a marked it incorrect. My father got into his face. He asked the teacher one question. 'Did I get the answer right? The teacher marked it correct. Matter of fact he had to show the teacher how it was done and it was done faster.

 

[manning]

You do not have to increase your price or reduce your labor costs. You reduce your profit.

Also, as a previous poster pointed out, even if the price of the product increased (again, only if the market will permit it) them it will go up only slightly. Perhaps ten to twenty-five cents per unit. A poor excuse for not paying a living wage.

Some day you will understand Capitalism.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Not so fast on the multiple jobs, what most of these bottom feeder employers also want is a "Flexible" schedule, so they email you sunday night for the next week hours

There's always an excuse, a whoa is me to why they just can't make it work. But the reality is, they can if they want to. Working a job that puts the schedule out late? Sign on with a staffing agency that lets you pick up by the day, clean houses or offices and work it around your reg. job. Walk dogs. I have a dear friend from my walmart days who still works at walmart. She's a single mom of 2, she works full time at walmart for low pay. She found a job as a caregiver for an elderly woman. She goes by 7 days a week, early, before work and gets the lady up, dressed, teeth brushed, bathed on certain days. Lays out her pills and prepares her breakfast. She also rents a house along with another single mom and they split the bills.

Part time gigs I have personally worked on top of my reg, full time job: I cleaned offices, babysat, worked as a photographer for a company that did youth sports teams photos, temp. clerical work. All of these jobs were flexible enough to allow me to work an irradiation full time job as well.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

Some day you will understand Capitalism.

I

There's always an excuse, a whoa is me to why they just can't make it work. But the reality is, they can if they want to. Working a job that puts the schedule out late? Sign on with a staffing agency that lets you pick up by the day, clean houses or offices and work it around your reg. job. Walk dogs. I have a dear friend from my walmart days who still works at walmart. She's a single mom of 2, she works full time at walmart for low pay. She found a job as a caregiver for an elderly woman. She goes by 7 days a week, early, before work and gets the lady up, dressed, teeth brushed, bathed on certain days. Lays out her pills and prepares her breakfast. She also rents a house along with another single mom and they split the bills.

Part time gigs I have personally worked on top of my reg, full time job: I cleaned offices, babysat, worked as a photographer for a company that did youth sports teams photos, temp. clerical work. All of these jobs were flexible enough to allow me to work an irradiation full time job as well.

There's always an excuse, a whoa is me to why they just can't make it work. But the reality is, they can if they want to. Working a job that puts the schedule out late? Sign on with a staffing agency that lets you pick up by the day, clean houses or offices and work it around your reg. job. Walk dogs. I have a dear friend from my walmart days who still works at walmart. She's a single mom of 2, she works full time at walmart for low pay. She found a job as a caregiver for an elderly woman. She goes by 7 days a week, early, before work and gets the lady up, dressed, teeth brushed, bathed on certain days. Lays out her pills and prepares her breakfast. She also rents a house along with another single mom and they split the bills.

Part time gigs I have personally worked on top of my reg, full time job: I cleaned offices, babysat, worked as a photographer for a company that did youth sports teams photos, temp. clerical work. All of these jobs were flexible enough to allow me to work an irradiation full time job as well.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

There is a certain amount of unemployment in this country, so it's unlikely that every person working a minimum wage job could find another gig to supplement it. Just like moving up the ladder, some people can do that, but not everyone can. There simply aren't enough extra jobs or high-level jobs for everybody to have one.

 

[BigAlsGal]

Or educate (college/trade) yourself. The more you know the more valuable you are. The more valuable you are increases your chance to move up to a livable wage. You don't believe it? Ask Ben Carson. He grew up poor and ended up as a highly skilled surgeon.

My dad used to say 'the only thing you are entitled to is dying. we all do. You want to improve yourself work your butt off '. He must have known what he was saying. He had to quit school at 8th grade. He ended up making a very good wage as a pipe fitter. He took the time to educate himself. He was no dummy. When I was taking algebra/trig in high school. he would run rings around me. Not only could he do the problem, he could explain it. He also knew some different ways to solve the problem. One teacher didn't like the way I solved a problem a marked it incorrect. My father got into his face. He asked the teacher one question. 'Did I get the answer right? The teacher marked it correct. Matter of fact he had to show the teacher how it was done and it was done faster.

I was arguing another point with someone else. I'm in the SERVICE industry. Not FF service. I own a business.

 

[longboard55]

Just to be clear, this is not about me. But I do see what is happening. 30 years ago, we had millions who worked with good paying jobs in Aerospace on government contracts, those jobs are gone, manufacturing has left for china, construction jobs use to have unions to support decent pay, those jobs are gone, the military is cutting back, and now we want to make retail pay so low no one can live on it. Honestly, what do you want people to do for work in the future.

 

[penn19]

I don't work fast food but I do have a job that only requires a HS diploma. Yep, I didn't go to college. A decision I have regretted all my life because the job I have now is what I am basically qualified for. I think I am more capable than my education indicates but I digress....
Saying all that, there is NO way my job should pay $15 an hour. It's a menial job and makes menial job money. If I want to make more money then I know I need to get a degree. Or network a little more. It is what it is.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

Some day you will understand Capitalism.

I understand Capitalism now. I also understand the damage being done to our country by unchecked greed and total lack of concern for others. A poster on this thread complained that her EMT husband, after 3 years was still making less than $12.00 per hour. She didn't want fast food workers making more than he does. But if fast food workers get that $15.00 minimum wage, her husband will get a raise. His employer will have to pay him more, because he can threaten to quit and get a fast food job. All the other EMTs can do the same. Since the employer needs EMTs, he will have to pay them what they're worth. I'm not quoting anyone else or speculating--I've actually been through this scenario, more than once. Like someone else said, a rising tide lifts everyone. The billionaires and Fox news don't want you to know that--they want you to believe the catastrophizing, doom and gloom they are prophesying, but this country did just fine in the fifties with unions, pensions and a living wage. It can do so again, if we all think for ourselves.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

We only need so many dentists, retail is the nations biggest employer, how can we call that a starter job.

Good point!

 

[justgrace]

Did you all know that less than 4% of hourly workers (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) are paid at or below the federal minimum wage?

The rest of the hourly workers are paid above federal minimum wage. Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong (which it's getting late and I very well might be thinking about this incorrectly), but doesn't it seem weird that the 4% are trying to change so much for the overwhelming majority?

My Economics professors brought this point up and I thought it was interesting.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

Did you all know that less than 4% of hourly workers (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) are paid at or below the federal minimum wage?

The rest of the hourly workers are paid above federal minimum wage. Maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong (which it's getting late and I very well might be thinking about this incorrectly), but doesn't it seem weird that the 4% are trying to change so much for the overwhelming majority?

My Economics professors brought this point up and I thought it was interesting.

 

[Mom of a great kid]

No, it doesn't seem weird at all. And he may be correct that 96% of workers are making more than $7.25. But some of that 96% may be making $7.30 per hour. Or $7.50. Or $8.00. I'd be willing to bet that a large number of that group are making less than $10.00 per hour. Even with a full time job, that translates to about $1500.00 per month take home pay. That won't cover rent, utilities, groceries, transportation and health care for one person in many cities, and many people are getting only part time work. A minimum wage of $15.00 per hour would boost wages for lots of people. So the statistic may be misleading.