The words “Living Wage” conjure up warm and fuzzy feelings of fairness. Sure, the individual that gets that job may do okay. But with the employer paying that employee more than he is worth, the employer is prevented from bringing on other employees. Sadly, these living wage campaigns hurt young and less skilled people the most. Even though unemployment rates have been sluggishly improving over the past few years, unemployment among teens and twenty-somethings has been abnormally high. The best policy is to allow the employer to pay employees what they are worth without government regulation (ie, minimum wage or living wage). Free markets work best when the government allows employers to produce and make their own decisions.
Great work from the VCU Living Wage Campaign! With better paid wages, workers will hopefully be able to afford basic necessities like rent, healthcare, and groceries while having a little extra spending money to put back into the community. New research is demonstrating that many low-paid employees are forced into taking government assistance just to afford these things, sucking up our tax dollars when places like McDonalds and Wal-Mart could easily foot part of the bill. While the words “free market” also conjure up warm and fuzzy feelings of fairness, we have to remember that the policy of giving employers exclusive control of wages has not worked historically. Denny R would have us abolish the minimum wage to create jobs without keeping in mind the actual human value and quality of life workers deserve. Lifting the ban on child labor or getting rid of the 13th amendment would also create jobs and let the market function more freely without govt regulation. So do we want what works best for the market, or do we want whats best for our communities? Surely there’s a middle ground that involves people being able to afford a decent standard of living. Here’s to hoping VCU workers get the raise that the administration has been promising for a decade and hopefully we will see it positively impact our local businesses soon after!
twitter_ilramsey:
You should like totally start a company and pay everyone the same salary and pay them full benefits….what are you waiting for?
Also, if I were POTUS, i would totally make the internet illegal….look at all the postal services jobs that are being lost to e-mail and online bill pay….it’s like these workers have no fair pay because they have no job…it’s like not right! We need to do more!!!
ilramsey: Thanks for pointing me to Forbes. I found an even better piece that is based on fact and reason of what really happens when higher minimum wages and living wages are set into law. Read, then read it again. You’ll learn something!
Denny R: That’s a much better article than the original analysis you offered from the Heritage Foundation. Thank you. I think we might be getting a little off track though. Since this is after all a conversation about the living wage initiative at VCU, and not about the terrifying impact of imaginary legislation on a national level, I’d like to offer you a learning opportunity which is perhaps more relevant to this case. Please find below a chart ranking hiring minimum rates at public universities across Virginia (data collected by UVA’s Human Resources Dept) to understand one reason why VCU students feel their University can and should do better to compensate their employees.
1) George Mason U. $12.20
2) U.Va. $11.53
3) William & Mary $10.00
4) U. of Mary Washington $9.93
5) James Madison U. $9.25
6) Old Dominion U. $9.19
7) Virginia Tech $9.00
8) Virginia Military Institute $8.50
9) U.Va. College at Wise $8.50
10) Virginia Commonwealth U. $8.25
11) Radford U. $8.00
12) Norfolk State U. $7.54
13) Virginia State University $7.54
Let’s set up a tip jar, and the students can leave as much money as they want
If people would view these jobs for what they are designed for, which is as a starter job or job of last resort, the minimum wage would make for sense. For those who have never worked before it is a chance to get some experience in the workforce. I’ve known minimum wage workers who now manage and own restaurants. If you are unemployed, working at any job makes you more employable and for you provides some income, which is a lot better than no income.
The words “Living Wage” conjure up warm and fuzzy feelings of fairness. Sure, the individual that gets that job may do okay. But with the employer paying that employee more than he is worth, the employer is prevented from bringing on other employees. Sadly, these living wage campaigns hurt young and less skilled people the most. Even though unemployment rates have been sluggishly improving over the past few years, unemployment among teens and twenty-somethings has been abnormally high. The best policy is to allow the employer to pay employees what they are worth without government regulation (ie, minimum wage or living wage). Free markets work best when the government allows employers to produce and make their own decisions.
Great work from the VCU Living Wage Campaign! With better paid wages, workers will hopefully be able to afford basic necessities like rent, healthcare, and groceries while having a little extra spending money to put back into the community. New research is demonstrating that many low-paid employees are forced into taking government assistance just to afford these things, sucking up our tax dollars when places like McDonalds and Wal-Mart could easily foot part of the bill. While the words “free market” also conjure up warm and fuzzy feelings of fairness, we have to remember that the policy of giving employers exclusive control of wages has not worked historically. Denny R would have us abolish the minimum wage to create jobs without keeping in mind the actual human value and quality of life workers deserve. Lifting the ban on child labor or getting rid of the 13th amendment would also create jobs and let the market function more freely without govt regulation. So do we want what works best for the market, or do we want whats best for our communities? Surely there’s a middle ground that involves people being able to afford a decent standard of living. Here’s to hoping VCU workers get the raise that the administration has been promising for a decade and hopefully we will see it positively impact our local businesses soon after!
twitter_ilramsey:
You should like totally start a company and pay everyone the same salary and pay them full benefits….what are you waiting for?
Also, if I were POTUS, i would totally make the internet illegal….look at all the postal services jobs that are being lost to e-mail and online bill pay….it’s like these workers have no fair pay because they have no job…it’s like not right! We need to do more!!!
ilramsey: Here is a good article for you to review as to why the living wage fails. http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2013/10/should-workers-get-a-raise-a-living-wage-at-the-entry-level-would-kill-jobs
Denny R: I’m not surprised a conservative think tank like the Heritage Foundation has published an article espousing the idea that pay increases would actually hurt workers. This is some very far right stuff you’re referencing. For a more balanced viewpoint, I would recommend this: http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2013/08/01/will-the-living-wage-trend-kill-or-make-mcdonalds-and-walmart/
ilramsey: Thanks for pointing me to Forbes. I found an even better piece that is based on fact and reason of what really happens when higher minimum wages and living wages are set into law. Read, then read it again. You’ll learn something!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2013/08/08/low-wages-cant-be-solved-by-turning-businesses-into-social-service-agencies/
Denny R: That’s a much better article than the original analysis you offered from the Heritage Foundation. Thank you. I think we might be getting a little off track though. Since this is after all a conversation about the living wage initiative at VCU, and not about the terrifying impact of imaginary legislation on a national level, I’d like to offer you a learning opportunity which is perhaps more relevant to this case. Please find below a chart ranking hiring minimum rates at public universities across Virginia (data collected by UVA’s Human Resources Dept) to understand one reason why VCU students feel their University can and should do better to compensate their employees.
1) George Mason U. $12.20
2) U.Va. $11.53
3) William & Mary $10.00
4) U. of Mary Washington $9.93
5) James Madison U. $9.25
6) Old Dominion U. $9.19
7) Virginia Tech $9.00
8) Virginia Military Institute $8.50
9) U.Va. College at Wise $8.50
10) Virginia Commonwealth U. $8.25
11) Radford U. $8.00
12) Norfolk State U. $7.54
13) Virginia State University $7.54
Let’s set up a tip jar, and the students can leave as much money as they want
If people would view these jobs for what they are designed for, which is as a starter job or job of last resort, the minimum wage would make for sense. For those who have never worked before it is a chance to get some experience in the workforce. I’ve known minimum wage workers who now manage and own restaurants. If you are unemployed, working at any job makes you more employable and for you provides some income, which is a lot better than no income.