Fast Food Workers Strike For Higher Wages

[Rey C.]

Campaign Seeks to Push Seattle Minimum Wage to $15

Washington already has the nation's highest state minimum wage at $9.19 an hour. Now, there's a push in Seattle, at least, to make it $15.

That would mean fast food workers, retail clerks, baristas and other minimum wage workers would get what protesters demanded when they shut down a handful of city restaurants in May and others called for when they demonstrated nationwide in July.

I don't know anything about Seattle, but I'm somewhat familiar with Portland, Oregon... which I'm guessing is similar enough for comparison. And the average machinist (a skilled trade) earns about $37K/year in Portland. On a 40 hour week, $15/hr = about $31K/year.

I don't know about that. Seems like a tough sale to me if you have what are basically unskilled, entry level jobs paying within a couple of bucks an hour of what a skilled trade job earns. I'm all for fairness and what not. But at some point, even with the best intentions, you begin to run into unintended consequences. And you know what they say the road to Hell is paved with: good intentions.

 

[bobjustbob]

The "Livable Wage" debate again? Come on folks, work more, earn more. You know what my secret is? The more I work, the more I make. AT THE SAME TIME, the more I work, the less time I have to spend. 40 hour work weeks are not written into The Constitution or in The Bible. 40 hours with health plan and life insurance and 5 weeks vacation is such a Euro-shit concept. I'll show you schedules I've worked voluntarily and forced to. Every time I was glad to do the hours. At one time I had 4 employers on my 1040. Part time shit that needed me for picking up loose ends for the boss. All 4 of them treated me like gold and I was able to get through a demanding financial stretch. All because I was willing to work. Overnights. Change your vacation. Working doubles for 2 weeks because someone was fired and coverage was needed. My record? 33 1/4 straight at the store on the clock. My rewards for this? Take 3 days off for a short vacation. That was the weekend at AC when I made $3500 on 1 race just after checking in at the Hilton. Take away that windfall and it still a nice time. Just the payoff for a brutally worked week. I still do that shit. As long as they are handing out hours, I'll gobble that shit up. Bonus reward! I plan my time off and they give it to me. I write my own fucking schedule. A nice exchange. When you need me, I will be there. When I want my time off, you better give it to me.