The Political Environment: When High-Earning Talk Radio Hosts Bash $7.25/Hr. Fast Food Workers...

Thursday, December 5, 2013

When High-Earning Talk Radio Hosts Bash $7.25/Hr. Fast Food Workers...

There is nothing tackier, #JeffWagner.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: Wagner has always been about care and compassion just like his tea party listeners.; December 5, 2013 at 6:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Raising pay for low skill labor hurts everybody. Costs will rise for everybody so the company can remain profitable. Pay should be based on skill to encourage the migrant workers and low skill workers to educate themselves, learn the skills and behaviors necessary to succeed financially in a cutthroat economy. People need to learn they can't expect to raise a large family on fast food jobs, these should be reserved for the young and old. The restaurant industry exploits undocumented migrants because they work full time at minimum wage unlike the typical high school kids who formerly used to do this work.; December 5, 2013 at 9:03 PM
Jake formerly of the LP said...: These companies are making record profits and paying their CEOs multi-millions. I think they can suck it up.

Anyway, if you raise wages of those closest to the edge, they're the ones most likely to do something with it- the best bang for the buck. The increased economic activity probably would mean these companies would end up doing just as well.

Demand matters, folks; December 6, 2013 at 8:43 AM
Gareth said...: Raising the pay of "low skill" labor hurts everybody.

False. Higher wages permit workers to actually support a family and rely less on public assistance programs which fast food companies use as a hidden tax subsidy. Workers may also be able to work one job rather than two or three to make ends meet, leading to a better family life and quite possibly greater achievement in school for their children.

Costs will rise for everybody so the company can remain profitable.

False. The cost will only increase for those who eat fast food, but since these places crank out thousands of meals a day the price increases will be nominal. Fast food workers may even be able to eat at their own restaurants, although that may not be a good thing from a health perspective.

Pay should be based on skill to encourage...workers to educate themselves.

Pure fantasy. Try educating yourself when you are working 80 hours a week at two or three jobs. Go ahead, try it.

People need to learn they can't expect to raise a large family on fast food jobs, these should be reserved for the young and old.

Authoritarianism alert! So are you advocating a command control economy and a Chinese communist style "one child" policy?

The restaurant industry exploits undocumented migrants....

Yes, finally some reality!

-- ...unlike the typical high school kids who formerly used to do this work.

Oh, there you go again. Perhaps you haven't noticed the wage stagnation over the last thirty years, the de-industrialization of our economy and the high structural unemployment. Why hire a flaky teenager when you can hire a desperate adult?

Low wage economies result in dampened demand and permanent economic stagnation. No one benefits from this except corporate CEO's and oligarchs, but, only on a short term basis, which is why some of them are now advocating for a raise in the minimum wage to the $12.50 to $15 range.; December 6, 2013 at 8:50 AM
Anonymous said...: Ronald Reagan's debate coach:

The fast food industry anticipates high rates of turnover because the jobs are designed to be transitional, not permanent full time careers. It's production line work, anyone can do it.

Higher wages only cause layoffs, and/or hour reductions to part-time to avoid ACA coverage. Higher prices will also affect the budget of the typical low income fast food customers, who "can't afford" healthy food options.

Automatically earning higher wages for nothing may be commonplace in the public sector, but in fast food it will require a union. What are the odds of that occurring?

Waiting to climb the career ladder in fast food is not the right message to send to protestors. Those taking time out of their "80 hour weeks" to protest lack the understanding of the basics of a knowledge based economy. Complaining about wages in fast food is no different than complaining to payday loans about the high interest rates. What did you expect?

And worse, those encouraging this fight from the sidelines (Gareth) give a sense of hope to battle they have little chance of winning. The unions and bleeding hearts should be sending the true message: the easiest path to a higher wage is to get out of a fast food job.; December 6, 2013 at 5:24 PM