Most fast food workers in California would get a $20 minimum wage next year — a nearly $5 per hour raise — under a deal announced Monday between labor unions and the industry that will avoid a costly referendum on the November 2024 ballot.
We already saw a lot of that in my part of the country organically. When there were a number of job openings for some reason (did a lot of people suddenly die or something?), people in the bare minimum wage locations jumped up the rung into better positions, both to better pay and to lateral moves with fewer bad customers. We started getting those “Wendy’s closed, no one wants to work” signs, but the owner makes zero from a closed store, so the pay went up. Now the other burger places have to follow suit to keep the lights on.
We can actually see the reverse in a floor raise like this. The crappy jobs that made $20 will have people saying “screw this, I’ll just flip burgers,” and the worker shortage will be in the formerly higher paying (but less attractive) jobs, which will have to raise pay to attract people who could just ask if you want fries and make the same money. I predict the next tier jobs will either immediately raise pay, or moan that “no one wants to work” while we go to well staffed burger places with very efficient staffs, and enjoy very talents landscapers that actually enjoy their jobs.
I just want to touch on the “things will cost more argument,” which sounds so very, very ridiculous after the past 3 years. No raise in the minimum wage, but everything soared in price. To make that argument and not realize that the whole world makes your words a joke is the providence of a fool or a shill.
Well except if the prices are already going up, why would you want to add stress to the system that encourages them to go up even more? You’re assuming that things are disconnected but that’s in no way proven.
We already saw a lot of that in my part of the country organically. When there were a number of job openings for some reason (did a lot of people suddenly die or something?), people in the bare minimum wage locations jumped up the rung into better positions, both to better pay and to lateral moves with fewer bad customers. We started getting those “Wendy’s closed, no one wants to work” signs, but the owner makes zero from a closed store, so the pay went up. Now the other burger places have to follow suit to keep the lights on.
We can actually see the reverse in a floor raise like this. The crappy jobs that made $20 will have people saying “screw this, I’ll just flip burgers,” and the worker shortage will be in the formerly higher paying (but less attractive) jobs, which will have to raise pay to attract people who could just ask if you want fries and make the same money. I predict the next tier jobs will either immediately raise pay, or moan that “no one wants to work” while we go to well staffed burger places with very efficient staffs, and enjoy very talents landscapers that actually enjoy their jobs.
I just want to touch on the “things will cost more argument,” which sounds so very, very ridiculous after the past 3 years. No raise in the minimum wage, but everything soared in price. To make that argument and not realize that the whole world makes your words a joke is the providence of a fool or a shill.
Well except if the prices are already going up, why would you want to add stress to the system that encourages them to go up even more? You’re assuming that things are disconnected but that’s in no way proven.
In no way proven? Like, researchers looking at historical data for minimum wage increases and comparing it to inflation increases? Like this?
https://www.upjohn.org/research-effects-raising-minimum-wage
(Spoiler: Prices generally go up 0.36% for every 10% the minimum wage is increased.)