$25 min wage in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, if the Walmart heirs and heiresses weren't interested in being multi-billionaires, they might actually pay their workers more. But, shoppers also don't care about wages, which is why so many people shop there and put people and towns out of business.

Sounds like you haven't read a newspaper since the 90s. The federal minimum wage is $7.25. The average hourly employee at Wal-Mart currently makes $18.25 an hour.

https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-employee-treatment-success-f96761f4?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdqmg8bBjJ4Mu3G36K_AmBwCqBm1T9WjKD4hzTapQQFgsgqnV5sRMmXr56-UO0%3D&gaa_ts=69421f96&gaa_sig=YTOKYpTeVAaHHYds3f6MTu7az8lOByKxRTWOQrbzm3OGyPZhd2mCX2oZryHnTQ6LCD6rt29COIvTC0k8vmV2GA%3D%3D

Walmart, Once a Byword for Low Pay, Becomes a Case Study in How to Treat Workers

The largest private employer in the U.S. increased wages in a bid to jump-start sales. Investors needed to be convinced.

I don’t have a subscription, but they’re mentioning 10 years ago at Walmart. Do they talk about Walmart’s underemployment leading to excessive use of public funds? Taxpayers have been bailing out Walmart for decades.

Walmart Is Still Putting Ebenezer Scrooge to Shame
https://jacobin.com/2024/05/walmart-living-wage-medicaid-snap

Walmart, McDonald's among largest employers of SNAP, Medicaid recipients: Report
https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/walmart-mcdonalds-largest-employers-snap-medicaid-recipients.amp

If the average Walmart employee makes $18.50 an hour, that translates to $38,500 per year. The federal poverty level for one person is $15,560. For two people, it's $21,150. For four people, it's $32,150.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine having to pay some teenager the equivalent of roughly $55k per year just to wash dishes or scrub toilets:

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/workers-labor-advocates-call-for-dc-to-raise-minimum-wage-to-25/4025867/

R.I.P. DC economy. No am I going to pay $100/entree for mediocre food or, $900/night for a garbage hotel simply because businesses have to cover out control labor costs.

No teenagers are washing dishes or scrubbing toilets.

And BTW, why shouldn't people who do those jobs earn that much? Those are hard jobs. They certainly have more importance and value than, say, lobbying, consulting, private equity or being a legislative aide.

But, oh, wait, you were TROLLING, weren't you?

You know what's hard? Clearing debris out of a field like rolling stones and moving logs. Just because it is hard doesnt mean it is valuable. It requires zero mental aptitude and zero special skills like carpentry or electrical knowledge. Why should we over reward low skill, low knowledge jobs?

Because they’re far more important than carpentry, electrical or clearing debris from a field.

You like clean bathrooms and plates, amrite? You value those more than a mitre cut doorframe? You certainly use them more frequently.

High knowledge jobs aren’t valuable. Someone who does, say, content marketing or is a lawyer or accountant is not nearly as important to society as people who clean toilets and dishes.

What did communists use before candles?

Electricity.

It’s communism for people to make enough money to live near their work. Proper capitalism requires a soul-grinding commute to remind workers of their natural inferiority.

Renting a room is living where you work. It's communism to believe that a dishwasher's salary should be able to support a family of four without additional government assistance.

I think it stems from the narrative that supposedly in the good old boomer days minimum wage workers were able to buy a home on one salary and support a stay home wife with 2-3 kids. Anyone can personally verify this was the fact? Back in the 90s in HCOL places minimum wage was not enough to even have your own room in a shared housing and eat anything that's not expired garbage grocery stores are getting rid of. When was this golden age where any full time employment of any kind could afford you an SFH in a good area that's not urban blight or rural wasteland?

This is the quintessential perspective of the young(ish) socialists who want to destroy the system. What’s funny is none of us “boomers” are saying what you think we’re saying. I’m in my fifties and I’ve worked minimum wage jobs, lived in rooms in apartments with strangers (well past my youngish years) lived in neighborhoods I didn’t want to live in. It wasn’t easy or pleasant. But for me it was motivation; for you it just seems like a source of resentment.

I had done all this and more, it's not about me, I am not resentful, like you, I was very motivated to not be stuck there. I am simply asking anyone old enough to verify that minimum wage indeed used to support a family in an SFH (even a small one) in a non dumpy slum neighborhood. I only know what we did in the 90s and early 2000s. You couldn't survive on your own on minimum wage.

There are 2 conflicting narratives today regarding what minimum wage is meant to be. One narrative (I listed) is about minimum wage being a living wage that one could support a family on and even own some sort of property. Another narrative (the one you and I, who are GenX, graduated into) is about minimum wage being a means to an end, allowing mere subsistence level austere living to survive while you are working on "bettering yourself" to move into a higher paying field/career either through education or entrepreneurship, etc. Or minimum wage being simply a supplement to another income (like in the case of an older child living at home for free, or a stay home spouse being supporting by a higher wage spouse, or a retired pensioner)

This disconnect on what minimum wage purpose is and what it's supposed to represent drives a lot of resentment and feeds social tensions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine having to pay some teenager the equivalent of roughly $55k per year just to wash dishes or scrub toilets:

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/workers-labor-advocates-call-for-dc-to-raise-minimum-wage-to-25/4025867/

R.I.P. DC economy. No am I going to pay $100/entree for mediocre food or, $900/night for a garbage hotel simply because businesses have to cover out control labor costs.

No teenagers are washing dishes or scrubbing toilets.

And BTW, why shouldn't people who do those jobs earn that much? Those are hard jobs. They certainly have more importance and value than, say, lobbying, consulting, private equity or being a legislative aide.

But, oh, wait, you were TROLLING, weren't you?

You know what's hard? Clearing debris out of a field like rolling stones and moving logs. Just because it is hard doesnt mean it is valuable. It requires zero mental aptitude and zero special skills like carpentry or electrical knowledge. Why should we over reward low skill, low knowledge jobs?

Because they’re far more important than carpentry, electrical or clearing debris from a field.

You like clean bathrooms and plates, amrite? You value those more than a mitre cut doorframe? You certainly use them more frequently.

High knowledge jobs aren’t valuable. Someone who does, say, content marketing or is a lawyer or accountant is not nearly as important to society as people who clean toilets and dishes.

What did communists use before candles?

Electricity.

It’s communism for people to make enough money to live near their work. Proper capitalism requires a soul-grinding commute to remind workers of their natural inferiority.

Renting a room is living where you work. It's communism to believe that a dishwasher's salary should be able to support a family of four without additional government assistance.

I think it stems from the narrative that supposedly in the good old boomer days minimum wage workers were able to buy a home on one salary and support a stay home wife with 2-3 kids. Anyone can personally verify this was the fact? Back in the 90s in HCOL places minimum wage was not enough to even have your own room in a shared housing and eat anything that's not expired garbage grocery stores are getting rid of. When was this golden age where any full time employment of any kind could afford you an SFH in a good area that's not urban blight or rural wasteland?

This has never been the narrative. Back in the boomer times of the 1960s, minimum wage was for teenagers and others working jobs for extra income, but never a job that could support a family…mainly because there were union and other FT jobs that paid way more than minimum wage that you could obtain with just a HS diploma.

Then the issue we have not is not minimum wage jobs but disappearing upward mobility and fewer opportunities to make a living for people without certain education or family connections.

The fact that we had moved towards service economy is one of the reasons. Another reason is massive outsourcing of skilled jobs and education requiring jobs, as well as import of foreign labor. There are other factors too, like preference for part time or flexible gig work that new tech advancements made possible. If given a choice humans would not generally prefer to spend most of their time working for someone else with rigid hours and locations. Everyone is trying to get out of rat race of full time work obligations however they can. Why so many ordinary people are ultra focused on investing, not just earning and saving and "get rich quick" schemes. Because our labor environment sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, if the Walmart heirs and heiresses weren't interested in being multi-billionaires, they might actually pay their workers more. But, shoppers also don't care about wages, which is why so many people shop there and put people and towns out of business.

Sounds like you haven't read a newspaper since the 90s. The federal minimum wage is $7.25. The average hourly employee at Wal-Mart currently makes $18.25 an hour.

https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-employee-treatment-success-f96761f4?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdqmg8bBjJ4Mu3G36K_AmBwCqBm1T9WjKD4hzTapQQFgsgqnV5sRMmXr56-UO0%3D&gaa_ts=69421f96&gaa_sig=YTOKYpTeVAaHHYds3f6MTu7az8lOByKxRTWOQrbzm3OGyPZhd2mCX2oZryHnTQ6LCD6rt29COIvTC0k8vmV2GA%3D%3D

Walmart, Once a Byword for Low Pay, Becomes a Case Study in How to Treat Workers

The largest private employer in the U.S. increased wages in a bid to jump-start sales. Investors needed to be convinced.

I don’t have a subscription, but they’re mentioning 10 years ago at Walmart. Do they talk about Walmart’s underemployment leading to excessive use of public funds? Taxpayers have been bailing out Walmart for decades.

Walmart Is Still Putting Ebenezer Scrooge to Shame
https://jacobin.com/2024/05/walmart-living-wage-medicaid-snap

Walmart, McDonald's among largest employers of SNAP, Medicaid recipients: Report
https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/walmart-mcdonalds-largest-employers-snap-medicaid-recipients.amp

If the average Walmart employee makes $18.50 an hour, that translates to $38,500 per year. The federal poverty level for one person is $15,560. For two people, it's $21,150. For four people, it's $32,150.

I suspect the part-time employees of Walmart are the issue.

[Anonymous]

All the businesses are closing. Starbucks people wanted union wages so their company president decided to just closed down all the stores. DC restaurants and coffee shops are leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the businesses are closing. Starbucks people wanted union wages so their company president decided to just closed down all the stores. DC restaurants and coffee shops are leaving.

Yes, let's celebrate union busting. Another great DCUM take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, if the Walmart heirs and heiresses weren't interested in being multi-billionaires, they might actually pay their workers more. But, shoppers also don't care about wages, which is why so many people shop there and put people and towns out of business.

Sounds like you haven't read a newspaper since the 90s. The federal minimum wage is $7.25. The average hourly employee at Wal-Mart currently makes $18.25 an hour.

https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/walmart-employee-treatment-success-f96761f4?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdqmg8bBjJ4Mu3G36K_AmBwCqBm1T9WjKD4hzTapQQFgsgqnV5sRMmXr56-UO0%3D&gaa_ts=69421f96&gaa_sig=YTOKYpTeVAaHHYds3f6MTu7az8lOByKxRTWOQrbzm3OGyPZhd2mCX2oZryHnTQ6LCD6rt29COIvTC0k8vmV2GA%3D%3D

Walmart, Once a Byword for Low Pay, Becomes a Case Study in How to Treat Workers

The largest private employer in the U.S. increased wages in a bid to jump-start sales. Investors needed to be convinced.

I don’t have a subscription, but they’re mentioning 10 years ago at Walmart. Do they talk about Walmart’s underemployment leading to excessive use of public funds? Taxpayers have been bailing out Walmart for decades.

Walmart Is Still Putting Ebenezer Scrooge to Shame
https://jacobin.com/2024/05/walmart-living-wage-medicaid-snap

Walmart, McDonald's among largest employers of SNAP, Medicaid recipients: Report
https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/walmart-mcdonalds-largest-employers-snap-medicaid-recipients.amp

If the average Walmart employee makes $18.50 an hour, that translates to $38,500 per year. The federal poverty level for one person is $15,560. For two people, it's $21,150. For four people, it's $32,150.

The point is that Walmart won't give people enough hours to make nearly that amount. Have you ever worked an hourly job?

[Anonymous]

That so many are worried about paying people a living wage that reflects COL in 2025 / 2026 vs paying closer attention to the billions of dollars companies make while exploiting the humans who work for them everyday, making the taxpayer subsidize the insufficient wages, and paying their CEOs absurd amounts of money while simultaneously incorporating AI to reduce headcount and maximize profit even further.

Corporate greed has twisted the narrative and the reality. Walmart could afford to pay living wages and still be incredibly profitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That so many are worried about paying people a living wage that reflects COL in 2025 / 2026 vs paying closer attention to the billions of dollars companies make while exploiting the humans who work for them everyday, making the taxpayer subsidize the insufficient wages, and paying their CEOs absurd amounts of money while simultaneously incorporating AI to reduce headcount and maximize profit even further.

Corporate greed has twisted the narrative and the reality. Walmart could afford to pay living wages and still be incredibly profitable.

Walmart does pay a living wage for full-time workers. Part-time workers are the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the businesses are closing. Starbucks people wanted union wages so their company president decided to just closed down all the stores. DC restaurants and coffee shops are leaving.

Yes, let's celebrate union busting. Another great DCUM take.

Stating facts is not celebration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the businesses are closing. Starbucks people wanted union wages so their company president decided to just closed down all the stores. DC restaurants and coffee shops are leaving.

Yes, let's celebrate union busting. Another great DCUM take.

Remember Wydown. Please use your brain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That so many are worried about paying people a living wage that reflects COL in 2025 / 2026 vs paying closer attention to the billions of dollars companies make while exploiting the humans who work for them everyday, making the taxpayer subsidize the insufficient wages, and paying their CEOs absurd amounts of money while simultaneously incorporating AI to reduce headcount and maximize profit even further.

Corporate greed has twisted the narrative and the reality. Walmart could afford to pay living wages and still be incredibly profitable.

Walmart does pay a living wage for full-time workers. Part-time workers are the problem.

I’m not giving them a pass. Part time, full time, these jobs should ALL get paid living wages. This is one of the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the country. They could pay living wages to every single employee and still be flush in $$$. It’s corporate greed. Enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That so many are worried about paying people a living wage that reflects COL in 2025 / 2026 vs paying closer attention to the billions of dollars companies make while exploiting the humans who work for them everyday, making the taxpayer subsidize the insufficient wages, and paying their CEOs absurd amounts of money while simultaneously incorporating AI to reduce headcount and maximize profit even further.

Corporate greed has twisted the narrative and the reality. Walmart could afford to pay living wages and still be incredibly profitable.

Walmart does pay a living wage for full-time workers. Part-time workers are the problem.

I’m not giving them a pass. Part time, full time, these jobs should ALL get paid living wages. This is one of the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the country. They could pay living wages to every single employee and still be flush in $$$. It’s corporate greed. Enough.

Please go educate yourself on how companies work kid. "Corporate greed" is not a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That so many are worried about paying people a living wage that reflects COL in 2025 / 2026 vs paying closer attention to the billions of dollars companies make while exploiting the humans who work for them everyday, making the taxpayer subsidize the insufficient wages, and paying their CEOs absurd amounts of money while simultaneously incorporating AI to reduce headcount and maximize profit even further.

Corporate greed has twisted the narrative and the reality. Walmart could afford to pay living wages and still be incredibly profitable.

Walmart does pay a living wage for full-time workers. Part-time workers are the problem.

I’m not giving them a pass. Part time, full time, these jobs should ALL get paid living wages. This is one of the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the country. They could pay living wages to every single employee and still be flush in $$$. It’s corporate greed. Enough.

Please go educate yourself on how companies work kid. "Corporate greed" is not a thing.

Bless your heart. I’m a 50 year old who works for corporate America. Yes, love, it’s a thing.

Hoping this was your attempt at sarcasm ….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That so many are worried about paying people a living wage that reflects COL in 2025 / 2026 vs paying closer attention to the billions of dollars companies make while exploiting the humans who work for them everyday, making the taxpayer subsidize the insufficient wages, and paying their CEOs absurd amounts of money while simultaneously incorporating AI to reduce headcount and maximize profit even further.

Corporate greed has twisted the narrative and the reality. Walmart could afford to pay living wages and still be incredibly profitable.

Walmart does pay a living wage for full-time workers. Part-time workers are the problem.

I’m not giving them a pass. Part time, full time, these jobs should ALL get paid living wages. This is one of the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the country. They could pay living wages to every single employee and still be flush in $$$. It’s corporate greed. Enough.

Please go educate yourself on how companies work kid. "Corporate greed" is not a thing.

I'm an antitrust attorney. Corporate greed is 100% a thing.