$15/hr Min Wage - We told you so

[Cow Poke]

My error, meant 1969, but the point, which you love to avoid, is the same.

Ah, you added stuff!!!

The minimum wage should be at least $13.00 an hour today yet in many places it isn't even $8.00 an hour.

Why? Why 13? Let's see if you can give a sound reason for that.

[Maranatha]

I have seen them cheat people in my town for decades.

Firstly, they ran all the mom and pop pharmacies, shoe stores, sporting goods stores, clothing stores, electronics stores etc all of which were staffed with well paid professionals who had and maintained a sense of community. Wal-Mart of course offered them positions in their store for a fraction of their worth.

I for one think if you shop at Wal-Mart, you aren't allowed a seat at the table in the minimum wage discussion.

Walmart snobbery?

[Sparko]

Target recently announced that they were raising their pay to $15/hr. which caused everyone to turn an eye to Walmart to see if/when they'll follow suit. What most don't realize, at least around here, virtually nobody gets more than 30/hrs/week and usually less working at Target. It is a complete waste of time looking for someone to help you find anything because hardly any employees are to be found except at the checkout.

And more checkouts are becoming automated too. At the local Meijers (department and grocery store combined) They have about 3 humans running checkout lanes in the whole store and about a dozen automated ones with one or two employees overseeing them.

[Sparko]

My error, meant 1969, but the point, which you love to avoid, is the same. The minimum wage should be at least $13.00 an hour today yet in many places it isn't even $8.00 an hour.

It would have been $11.58/hour. And I really doubt that. I worked for $1.60 an hour in 1973 (equiv $9.70) at a summer job and I had to save up all summer just to afford a boom box and some cassette tapes. So these inflation estimates seem to be way off.

[Mountain Man]

You call 15$/hr top dollar? Woaw.

For menial labor that even a trained monkey could do? It absolutely is.

[Sparko]

For menial labor that even a trained monkey could do? It absolutely is.

If a robot arm can do it, then yeah $15/hour is top dollar for a "burger flipper"

Most of these jobs are filled by high school students who need a job, or people without any marketable skills. Having such low paying entry level jobs gives them a chance to make some extra money, and allows the company to offer more jobs to more people. They aren't meant as a "livable wage" to raise a family on. If people want more money, they need to get some training. Heck even a burger flipper can show initiative and work their way up to manager if they want.

[Leonhard]

For menial labor that even a trained monkey could do? It absolutely is.

I checked up what McDonalds pays in Denmark for a burger flipper and that's 17$/hr.

[Leonhard]

True, but pushing up the cost of employing folks speeds up the process dramatically. When they first started talking about automating fast food restaurants the companies sloughed it off as being too expensive, but as workers started demanding a sharp jump in pay it became much more feasible.

It's kinda like getting oil from shale or oil sands. When the price was $40/barrel for oil it just wasn't practical. But when it reached $100/barrel it became profitable. And when the price drops below a certain threshold these operations shutdown.

Agreed on the acceleration.

Or getting uranium from high grade ore which 100$/pound, vs getting it from sea-water which is 1500$/pound.

[Mountain Man]

I checked up what McDonalds pays in Denmark for a burger flipper and that's 17$/hr.

I was referring to US dollars. In the US, $17/hour is what a skilled IT helpdesk person would make.

[Cow Poke]

I checked up what McDonalds pays in Denmark for a burger flipper and that's 17$/hr.

But what is that relative to your economy. How much, for example would a Quarter Pounder w Cheese, fries, and a large coke cost?

[Sparko]

I checked up what McDonalds pays in Denmark for a burger flipper and that's 17$/hr.

They get paid in dollars?

And what does a Big Mac cost in Denmark?

[Cow Poke]

They get paid in dollars?

And what does a Big Mac cost in Denmark?

Or any substantial "value meal". Quarter Pounder meal is right at $7.00.

[KingsGambit]

I was referring to US dollars. In the US, $17/hour is what a skilled IT helpdesk person would make.

I make more than that in a similar position and I don't think I'm all that skilled.

[Leonhard]

I was referring to US dollars. In the US, $17/hour is what a skilled IT helpdesk person would make.

But what is that relative to your economy. How much, for example would a Quarter Pounder w Cheese, fries, and a large coke cost?

They get paid in dollars?

And what does a Big Mac cost in Denmark?

I converted it to American dollars. It was a 113kr/hr if you want it in Danish Crowns instead.

And a quarter pounder menu is 64kr (9,62$).

A Big Mac is 30kr (4.51$)

[Mountain Man]

I make more than that in a similar position and I don't think I'm all that skilled.

I suppose it depends on what you're doing and how long you've been doing it, but entry level pay for IT helpdesk is in the $17/hr range. Of course "skilled" is a relative term. You need more smarts doing IT work then your do flipping burgers.