"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 1 Nov 2014 18:08:16 -0700, "Howard Beal"
wrote:


"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:51:37 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sat, 01 Nov 2014 12:31:44 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

someone said:
(because there is no pressure on industry to pay higher wages)



Not every job can pay rocket scientist wages. Entry level jobs teach
people responsibility and skill and other marketable qualities.
Meanwhile, people should have paid attention in school and not gotten a
trophy for "showing up" at a sports game? $15/hr for a burger flipper
is STUPID!

It's brilliant! Just think: How many people would put up with $20
hamburgers and $3ea condiments after that goes into effect? People
would have to eat healthier foods. Win/win, wot?

While you're practicing your arithmetic, you might want some
real-world prices to put into your homework.

Fast-food restaurants' average labor costs -- total, front- and
back-operations -- run around 25% of sales.

McD's workers average around $8.50/hour. Figure one manager for eight
employees (which is about right), at $11.50/hour, you get an average
of $8.83 for all employees. That represents $1.00 of a $3.99 Big Mac.

If you raised them all to $15.00/hour, that would add $0.80 to the
price of that burger: It would sell for $4.79.

That's significant, but before you start thinking "$20 burgers," try
running the numbers and get real.

--
Ed Huntress

Simple solution, reform labor laws. Provide for a yearly COLA
tied to the rate of inflation. That would at least slow down the
errosion of the buying power for low wage workers.

Best Regards
Tom.

I'd oppose automatic increases. They make it too easy to start a
wage-price spiral.

--
Ed Huntress

I have to dissargree with that, a spiral might occur but i believe
it would be short term. Employers and workers would quickley
realize there is no benifit to either of them in engaging in a posture
of one upsmanship.

Best Regards
Tom.