Seattle sees fallout from $15 minimum wage, as other cities follow suit

[Flaming Pie]

I think its too much for unskilled workers. I think if 15 is the new minimum than my workers deserve FAR more than what i can afford to pay them without raising prices to the point where my services are no longer affordable to the folks i serve.

I no longer do lawn care, but when i did i often charged 50$ per cut (obviously there are alot of factors involved but lets just run with that number for now)

50$ was reasonable given the quality of service. Now, if my guys who make nearly double the minimum wage as it stands all got a 7.75$ an hour raise, that puts the cost at about 65$ a cut... So an extra 60$ a month charged to my clients. That adds up quite fast.

They are assuming that all customers also benefited from the minimum wage increase. Depends on your targeted consumer I suppose.

If you are in low income 20-35k zones, they will be able to absorb the increased cost with their increase in pay.

Wouldn't happen overnight. In probably a couple months people would start to be less cautious.

As long as prices of food and utilities don't spike at the same rate as wages, we should all be fine.

That is what I am starting to believe.

 

[mollymcgrammar]

They are assuming that all customers also benefited from the minimum wage increase. Depends on your targeted consumer I suppose.

If you are in low income 20-35k zones, they will be able to absorb the increased cost with their increase in pay.

Wouldn't happen overnight. In probably a couple months people would start to be less cautious.

As long as prices of food and utilities don't spike at the same rate as wages, we should all be fine.

That is what I am starting to believe.

Food rates will rise for sure. How many farmers or food plants pay less than 15 an hour? All of them will have a rise in costs... That means higher prices.

The stores selling the food will also have to raise prices, not only because they will pay more for the food, but they now have to pay the high school age stock boy 15 an hour.

 

[Flaming Pie]

Food rates will rise for sure. How many farmers or food plants pay less than 15 an hour? All of them will have a rise in costs... That means higher prices.

The stores selling the food will also have to raise prices, not only because they will pay more for the food, but they now have to pay the high school age stock boy 15 an hour.

That is what I am concerned most about.

Would that cause people to use more illegal immigrants for labor? Would it cause them to move from people to machines?

 

[Grandpapy]

How about taxing Corporations that bypass the rules that provide for a just and prosperous union by operating elsewhere in the world.

Try to remember that Shareholders run the Corporations, they no longer have boarders, or proof of US citizenship requirements.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/2013fdi_report_-_final_for_web.pdf

You think will will hit the $4 bilion mark in lobbing Dollars this year?
What would it take to get you to change your vote if you were in Congress?

 

[UncleBuck]

That adds up. Especially when all of workers will now want raises because they now make minimum wage.

so they'll get a raise from $13 to $15, thus meaning they will now want another raise?

I have 9 employees, 5 are full-time. They work roughly 50 hours a week. All of my fulltime guys get 15 an hour except one, he makes 12.

Our average work day is about 10 hours. Sometimes more sometimes less. Thats about 50$ a day extra for his work

no, that's about $30.

I'll make roughly 400$ at the end of the day

so making $370 a day instead of $400 a day when you admittedly have done no work is gonna break you?

maybe you should actually do some work. are you really that afraid of hanging some drywall? i do that shit for fun.

 

[UncleBuck]

Food rates will rise for sure. How many farmers or food plants pay less than 15 an hour? All of them will have a rise in costs... That means higher prices.

The stores selling the food will also have to raise prices, not only because they will pay more for the food, but they now have to pay the high school age stock boy 15 an hour.

you're clearly a very stupid person. this is reflected every time you open your mouth in one way or another.

we can run down the list of BLS goods and see that your talking points have no basis in reality, and your thinking has no grounding in intelligence.

a dozen eggs, august 1988: $0.909
a dozen eggs, august 2011: $1.711

+88%

gallon of milk, august 1995: $2.482 (restricted data set, sorry)
gallon of milk, august 2013: $3.448

+39%

bananas, june 1988: $0.501
bananas, june 2012: $0.605

+21%

coffee, march 1988: $2.634
coffee, march 2010: $3.565

+35%

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?ap



all of this while the min wage went from $3.35 to $7.25, meaning it more than doubled (+116%).

 

[Fogdog]

It is what I was talking about. People are going to want to be making more than mcdonalds workers.

Fast food in general pisses me off. The workers generally don't care and will sneak food all the time. Even the managers do it sometimes. They keep employees that slack and groom their ego, vs the employees willing to get dirty and offer excellent customer service.

How hard is it to make a burger correctly? It's written down for you. The managers don't always let you get up to speed tho, they force you to speed. Causes mistakes when training takes a backseat to speed.

Keep pushing out burgers with pickles and mustard. Keep giving us those soggy buns and not giving us the correct order.

One thing that may happen with 12-15 minimum is that employers will have to learn quickly which employees are helping and which are hurting the business.

One thing that the dutch do is a reduced pay for teens I believe. That would be interesting.. but also problematic maybe.

I think its too much for unskilled workers. I think if 15 is the new minimum than my workers deserve FAR more than what i can afford to pay them without raising prices to the point where my services are no longer affordable to the folks i serve.

I no longer do lawn care, but when i did i often charged 50$ per cut (obviously there are alot of factors involved but lets just run with that number for now)

50$ was reasonable given the quality of service. Now, if my guys who make nearly double the minimum wage as it stands all got a 7.75$ an hour raise, that puts the cost at about 65$ a cut... So an extra 60$ a month charged to my clients. That adds up quite fast.

So, if I read both of you correctly, you think that $15/hour is too much for minimum wage. No empirical justification, just you think its too high, right? You do know that this thread is about the minimum wage in Seattle and other high cost of living cities, not Memphis, right?

 

[heckler73]

How many farmers or food plants pay less than 15 an hour? All of them will have a rise in costs...

I don't know.
Do you have any data?

 

[PsicloneX]

The problem isnt the wage , its the debasement of the currency a 20 $ gold piece used to buy a nice suit when it was minted in 1880 . It still does .100 $ not worth much now .Very sad .

 

[Fogdog]

The problem isnt the wage , its the debasement of the currency a 20 $ gold piece used to buy a nice suit when it was minted in 1880 . It still does .100 $ not worth much now .Very sad .

Ha! That's funny. Gold bugs have been cranks for a long time. Generations of cranks.

 

[Flaming Pie]

So, if I read both of you correctly, you think that $15/hour is too much for minimum wage. No empirical justification, just you think its too high, right? You do know that this thread is about the minimum wage in Seattle and other high cost of living cities, not Memphis, right?

Oh. Well.. Then carry on. lol.

I thought we were talking about a federal minimum not a state/city only.

 

[mollymcgrammar]

so they'll get a raise from $13 to $15, thus meaning they will now want another raise?



no, that's about $30.



so making $370 a day instead of $400 a day when you admittedly have done no work is gonna break you?

maybe you should actually do some work. are you really that afraid of hanging some drywall? i do that shit for fun.

I meant the guys that already make 15. I pay them 15 because they are more valuble to me than the guy who makes 12, so if the guy that makes 12 gets a raise they should too.

I do work, just not as often. I have a baby and my wife works all day. That's the whole point of having employees, to do the work i can't do myself because im handling other things. I hire men and women (yes i hire women and they often work harder than the men) who can do the work while i manage the company.

And out of that 400, i have insurance to pay, equipment to pay for, and a property thats leased to store materials, equipment, and an office space. Not to mention advertising, emergency funds, workers comp insurance, and so on. My employees make out better than i do. Im more in it for the management experience and the value of my buisness than i am for profit. My bank account can testify to the fact that i am more generous than i should be.

The 30$ wont kill me, but that 30$ plus the raises i have to give my more experienced workers so they dont make the new "minimum wage" will kill me, or if nothing else cost my buisness due to loss of work by raising prices. Since they get paid hourly on the job, they are going to feel it faster than me. I feel bad for them.

I treat my crew great, with more respect than i ever got from a boss. I even give my crew a small bonus when the winter comes since the work kinda fades away. I pay doubletime after 40 hours a week instead of time and a half, and an extra buck an hour on weekends.

I also expect them to work like mules, and they do. Its an honest days work for an honest days pay.

 

[mollymcgrammar]

I don't know.
Do you have any data?

I know that i worked for a couple different places around me JJsnacks plant paid 7.50 an our. BC. Bundt paid 8.00. Im sure others are in the same range. Id also imagine your average farmboy dont make much but im just guessing.

 

[UncleBuck]

The problem isnt the wage , its the debasement of the currency a 20 $ gold piece used to buy a nice suit when it was minted in 1880 . It still does .100 $ not worth much now .Very sad .

rawn pawl lost. get over it.

 

[UncleBuck]

That's the whole point of having employees, to do the work i can't do myself because im handling other things.

so in other words, you just mooch off of their labor.

My employees make out better than i do.

then maybe you should go hang some drywall.

30$ plus the raises i have to give my more experienced workers

you don't have to give them raises though.

I also expect them to work like mules

you work them like mules and mooch off the surplus value of their labor so you don't have to work. that's vulturistic.

 

[mollymcgrammar]

so in other words, you just mooch off of their labor.



then maybe you should go hang some drywall.



you don't have to give them raises though.



you work them like mules and mooch off the surplus value of their labor so you don't have to work. that's vulturistic.

No, i do HAVE to give them raises. Not legally, but ethically. If 15 an hour is baseline for no skill or experience they deserve far more

And i would be better off if i did hang drywall, but what i would pay for child care would remove any benifit.

My wife's job is our main income, my work provides some extra cash and provides a few decent jobs.

Basically with your logic, my men would work like mules for minimum wage (15 an hour) and not get raises. As well as someone getting laid off so i can take their spot.... You would make a great CEO for one of those same companies you liberals hate so much.

And my management ability seems to be paying off for them. They work alot and make good money. Not every CEO lets his employees earn more than him.

 

[mollymcgrammar]

Also i should add that im 23 years old and already started a successful company.

What have you done?

I turned a life of crime and drug use into the American Dream. I am FAR from rich, but i have a wife who loves me, my daughter is happy and healthy, and im genuinely good to my workers in return for their hard work.

 

[Grandpapy]

Also i should add that im 23 years old and already started a successful company.

What have you done?

I turned a life of crime and drug use into the American Dream. I am FAR from rich, but i have a wife who loves me, my daughter is happy and healthy, and im genuinely good to my workers in return for their hard work.

Congratulations, you could pay less I'm glad you don't.
But, They don't get to write off, gas, vehicle, lunch, percentage of house, elec, water, phone, bank fees, nor do they enjoy lower interest rates because of your said business. You know, pocket change.
Chances are you are posting using a computer and power paid for by the tax payer.

 

[mollymcgrammar]

Congratulations, you could pay less I'm glad you don't.
But, They don't get to write off, gas, vehicle, lunch, percentage of house, elec, water, phone, bank fees, nor do they enjoy lower interest rates because of your said business. You know, pocket change.
Chances are you are posting using a computer and power paid for by the tax payer.

Nope posting on a phone paid for with my wige paycheck lol

And i dont get to write off gas because i dont drive. I got in a car crash in 2013 and am scared to drive now.

The perks to owning a buisness aren't as nice as youd think, i have no loans to worry about intrest on.

As far as utilities... Can i do that? If so nobody told me. I do get a tax credit because some of my employees are felons. Thats nice and all but they are great workers and that matters more to me than a tax credit. Plus, im a felon too... Who am i to judge.

 

[Grandpapy]

Nope posting on a phone paid for with my wige paycheck lol

And i dont get to write off gas because i dont drive. I got in a car crash in 2013 and am scared to drive now.

The perks to owning a buisness aren't as nice as youd think, i have no loans to worry about intrest on.

As far as utilities... Can i do that? If so nobody told me. I do get a tax credit because some of my employees are felons. Thats nice and all but they are great workers and that matters more to me than a tax credit. Plus, im a felon too... Who am i to judge.

oh yes, many more. x10 in the Corp. world. Fewer folks that know that the better. (see free education)