New Narrative: Pay Living Wage Or 'Flip Your Own Damn Burgers'

[turbinetree]

Politics 5/10/21 8:10am Read time: 3 minutes

Progressives Blast Right-Wing Narrative on Jobs.
By Common Dreams



Pushing back on the right-wing narrative about the reason for real or perceived labor shortages in some markets nationwide, progressives on Friday told corporations that if they want to hire more people, they'll need to start paying better wages.

Soon after the Labor Department released its April jobs report, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce blamed last month's weak employment growth on the existence of a $300 weekly supplemental jobless benefit and began urging lawmakers to eliminate the federally enhanced unemployment payments that were extended through early September when congressional Democrats passed President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan.

"No. We don't need to end [the additional] $300 a week in emergency unemployment benefits that workers desperately need," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in response to the grumbles of the nation's largest business lobbying group. "We need to end starvation wages in America."

https://crooksandliars.com/2021/05/new-narrative-pay-living-wage-or-flip-your

[KS Toronado]

1. Another good reason why restaurants have trouble finding help

With an ongoing pandemic and so many people refusing vaccines or wearing masks, I can understand why some
people feel like they're putting their lives in the hands of strangers.

[Warpy]

4. Restaurants, retail, and other shit jobs are going to have some trouble

unless they're willing to cough up a day's wage for a day's work, something they haven't had to do since the early 70s.

It's going to be a real shock to all those freeloaders.

[Johnny2X2X]

9. Yup!

We stopped paying fair wages decades ago, so it's just accepted by the public now that people will be paid starvation wages.

[TraceNC]

14. It's sort of "general strike light"

for lack of a better term. It’s about time businesses see what it’s like when the labor market raises the price of labor. And it’s about time the public sees what happens when the people (who JUST LAST YEAR were praised as frontline workers making food and household necessities readily available) aren’t serving them for crumbs.

[dalton99a]

13. +1. The owners pocketed billions of PPP money, and now they are badmouthing workers

[KS Toronado]

19. Good insight!

[smirkymonkey]

22. THIS infuriates me more than anything.

How many filthy reach owners of companies and organizatons who were not struggling and did not need their stimulus payents, received it and kpet it anyway. Greedy motherfuckers!

[irisblue]

2. Good! Start repeating and repeating and repeating that.

The capitalist system and the "invisible hand of the free market" has kicked in and this means the value of labor has gone up.

[fescuerescue]

5. The value is the same as always. But the price is going up

Business will just have to find a way to pay the larger wage. Either that or close.

[BobTheSubgenius]

3. You have to marvel at the depth and breadth of the greed.

How blinded by greed to you have to be before you can recognize the solution to a problem that shouldn't be happening? How is this not a logical and foreseeable outcome of, among other things, but largely "Right To Work" legislation that is really "Because You Have No Other Choice" legislation?

[leftieNanner]

8. This morning

I took a walk with my friend and I was telling her about the Congressional Hearing where Katie Porter and her white board questioned Jamie Dimon about a hypothetical constituent from her district who might work at his bank. After she laid out the woman's finances and got to the bottom, the woman would be $750 short every month. She then asked him (who is paid tens of millions of dollars every year) what is the solution?

We all know the answer is - PAY A LIVING WAGE. But he couldn't say it. Sick greedy bastard.

My local Wells Fargo branch is temporarily closed because they don't have enough workers. Would you work as a teller in a bank for minimum wage? That's effectively what they pay!

[BobTheSubgenius]

21. LOVE Katie Porter, just as an aside. She is genuinely FUNNY!

Conversely, do not care much for Mr. Dimon, or his board. Play a part in trying to run the US economy, which would have caused most of the world economy to follow it into the ditch. THEN to get a raise???

Disgusting, top to bottom.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. In most states you don't receive unemployment unless you are actively seeking work

Are they pissed off that someone with an engineering or other professional degree won't take a job as a burger flipper?

[Progressive Jones]

24. In my State, you are not required to take a job that isn't suitable to replace the old job. nt

[LittleGirl]

7. Hey Restaurant owners, pay up or shut up!

I made 2.01 an hour plus tips in 1980.
The pay is now 2.13 an hour plus tips.

Pay up or shut up!
And give your servers/cooks/washers Sick days, personal days and vacation pay!
Goddamn it, they aren’t slaves!

Pay them! You’ve been riding that gravy train long enough!

[leftieNanner]

10. McDonalds did an analysis

Of price of food against employment costs. I think they determined that if they paid their workers a decent wage, they would have to raise the price of a Big Mac by TEN CENTS!!!

I don't eat that crap, but I imagine most people would pay TEN CENTS more!!

I also think that restaurants should be "service compris" - no tipping at all and pay all employees a fair wage.

[ShazzieB]

15. Ten cents? Most people wouldn't even notice that!

[xmas74]

27. The regulars will and have their usual tantrum.

I was a shift manager at a fast food place. The regulars would notice if the tax went up a penny. One actually threw pennies at me over a senior coffee, which was a quarter. The tax rate went up and they had to pay 26 cents. Another threw a cream cheese package at me.

Imo, a dime is nothing but believe me someone will complain.

[Johnny2X2X]

11. The Biden Administration is smart

This is not an unintended consequence, but rather an intended one. They knew this would drive wages up as people aren't going to work for nothing anymore. Giving the working poor a taste of the middle class income they deserve is the worst nightmare for Cons. The market is deciding right now, just needed a little nudge, but I think this has lasting effects.

[LittleGirl]

20. I hope you're right! eom

[Midnight Writer]

12. It's ironic that the "populist" MAGA movement has pissing on employees as a foundational principle.

All of these fools would be totally screwed if not for liberal government programs.

I wish Democrats would make that case.

[Happy Hoosier]

16. I learned in college....

That working food service is a shitty job. It's dirty, it's hot, and it pays crap.

I know from some personal contact that some folks who worked food service prior to the pandemic have now found jobs that pay better and have better working conditions.

In short, the restaurants are going to have to do more to attract workers if they want to compete. Simple as that.

[Johnny2X2X]

17. Same here

I worked food service jobs as a youngster, and I was able to build on that and get an education and find jobs that paid more. But here's the thing, yeah, people should try to improve themselves and add skills to be able to have a better career, but not everyone can do that. I recognize that food service work is important and for whatever reason it might be all some people are ever qualified to do. And I think those people, and every other worker too should earn enough to live in dignity.

[Happy Hoosier]

29. Agreed. Completely.

Many restaurant owners seem to think they are entitled to workers paid poverty wages. That has to change. Anyone working full time should be able to afford the necessities of life.

If that means we have to pay more for a Big Mac or rack of Chili's Baby Back Ribs? Oh fucking well.

[Johnny2X2X]

18. Chipotle listened

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chipotle-raises-average-hourly-wage-123501678.html

When you have companies like Chipotle paying $15 an hour for restaurant work, and Cotsco paying $16 an hour for grocery store work, it sets a standard for the area. Why bag groceries for $8 an hour when you can try to get into Costco and make double? Why work at the local Greasy Spoon for $9 an hour when Chipotle is paying $15? And Amazon boosted their pay to $15 an hour and although they cut back some other benefits, this had the effect of other warehouse and delivery jobs paying more.

This is all great, but not enough, there still needs to be a minimum wage for those places where workers don't have the options of Amazon, Chipotle, or Costco.

[xmas74]

28. Chipotle is actively working towards a solution

And trying to retain employees. My kid is in college and was just promoted to service manager. She has full benefits including insurance at a better rate than what I pay, vacation, some sick,etc. She receives a holiday cash bonus too.

She has now transferred from the local university to totally online with another university in state so she can finish her degree while working. She's already spoken with corporate and they've said with a degree in business she can do very well with the company, especially after she mentioned her plan to obtain an MBA. A recent article stated that GMs can expect to earn upwards of 100k a year so it's worth it for her.

[Progressive Jones]

25. We need more manufacturing jobs. Period. nt

[BGBD]

26. It's not going to matter

Automation is going to replace most of the "burger flipper" jobs in the next 5 to 10 years anyway.

They already have automated kiosks to order and drink machines that pour the drinks on their own. It won't be long before the rest of it is 0's and 1's as well.

Instead of 10 people on a shift they'll have 1 or 2 just to make sure everything is running and to load the machines, and hell, those people might need some computer engineering experience to be able to keep everything going.

It won't just be those jobs either. Any job that involves repetitive tasks is going to become automated sooner rather than later and as AI advances who knows what'll come.

[Happy Hoosier]

30. Give that there seems to shift from people who want those crappy jobs...

Maybe a reduced labor force in restaurants is just fine then.

[Klaralven]

31. Haven't eaten in a restaurant since 2019

Actually, there is no need to eat in restaurants.

I've had a little takeout from time to time, but grocery stores have a wide selection of prepared and microwaveable entrees. I can carry my own food from the kitchen to the table.