General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Fast-Food Strikes Expand Across U.S. to 50 Cities [View all]delete_bush
(1,712 posts)but I sense that we're at the end of the line here. One last note, I usually toss Sunday's 'Parade' but today it was on labor so I took a look, a number of stories about mfg jobs. One was about a woman living in Detroit who lost her job of ten years working on an auto parts line. This was five years ago, and the single mother of three lost her home. But now she's working at start-up company making upscale wristwatches. I don't know how much she earns, or others like her who work for companies that might rely on foreign trade.
I'd hate to see her and others lose their job if raising wages to $15/hr cause the foreign buyers to go elsewhere. I know there's a company in GA or AL that makes chopsticks for export to China. Again, not sure of how much workers earn but if the company is forced to raise prices and told by their customers they found another supplier what happens to the worker. They might have preferred a job vs. not having one. But I guess all of their workers can apply to McDonalds. Oh, and when the McD's and their ilk are deluged with applications from the better educated how long will it be before those whose only skill set IS this type of work are unable to find employment?
What happens to small town America. There are only so many jobs to go around, and to think that a $15 min wage will not reduce employment is naive. The problem with a high federal wage is that the cost of living varies greatly. Like I said, if a couple of 18 yr olds can earn $60K/yr in Dodge City they'll be in high clover.
For what it's worth, I'm in favor of raising the minimum wage to $9 or so, but I'm more interested in bringing mfg jobs back to the U.S.
Thanks again for hanging in there.