Senator has asked for Junkman's help....

[Junkman]

Got the following email today. Funny thing is that I was discussing a similar topic yesterday with a friend. Restaurants paying the state's minimum wage for restaurant workers, which is even more sub standard than that of regular workers. Restaurant servers, commonly known as waiters and waitresses are paid $2.13 per hour, plus they keep their tips. Do you know of any other business that the consumer is expected to pay the employee for serving them? Even Dunkin Donut's gets around the state minimum wage by calling the counter people waitress's and having a tip container on the counter.

Become a Minimum Wage Increase Citizen Co-Sponsor



Dear Friends:

Over the past ten years, Members of Congress have raised their own pay by $31,000, but the minimum wage hasn't gone up a cent. It?s still just $5.15 ? $10,700 a year for a full-time worker. No one can live on that. It?s more than $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. In the wealthiest country on the face of the earth, no one who works for a living should have to live in poverty.

That?s why I've fought time and again to increase the minimum wage. Yet, time and again, Republicans in Congress have refused to give hard-working men and women the pay they deserve.

One thing I've learned in this ongoing battle is that the American people understand what this Republican Congress does not ? that a fair increase in the minimum wage is long overdue. People see their friends and neighbors struggling to survive on poverty wages, and they want to help.

I'm working with community activists, religious leaders, and workers around the country to obtain citizen co-sponsors for my Fair Minimum Wage Act, which will raise the minimum wage to $7.25 over two years. With these signatures in hand, I?ll demand a vote on the minimum wage as soon as possible.

To help make this effort a success, I am asking each of you, as friends and supporters, to stand with us. Please sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, and encourage others to do so. With your help, we can succeed, and give minimum wage workers a well-earned raise.

MY RESPONSE

Dear Senator:

How about including waiters and waitress's in the legislation. They are paid $2.13 to wait on tables and the consumer is expected to make up the difference. NOT FAIR to either party. When they finish their shift, they are expected to wipe down the tables, fill the salt and pepper shakers, clean the lighting, sweep or vacuum the floor, etc. All this so the large corporation restaurant chains can save on labor expense. This also goes for the small pizza shop. The owner there has 2 Mercedes and both a summer and winter home besides his own home, for a total of 3 residences and pays the waiters $2.13. If he can afford all the other things, I believe that he can also afford to pay a living wage to the employees. I realize that this will be an up hill battle, but aren't they just as deserving as human beings? If you want to fix the minimum wage, fix it for everyone!!!!!!

 

[Doc]

Good response Junk.

But ....
If you knew they were getting the same minimum wage as everyone else is guaranteed, would everyone still tip as much?
I'd guess not. So, in the long run this could end up costing the waiters and waitresses money over the course of the year. No easy answers.

 

[Junkman]

Do you tip the person that bags your groceries? Do you tip the guy that fixes your car? Do you tip the guy that sells you a television? Tipping is an antiquated method of wages. There are many problems that are resolved when people make a living wage. First they pay taxes just like you and I on all of their earnings. That is foremost in my mind. I don't like the fact that they can earn $10 per hour and only pay income taxes on part of that money, when I must pay taxes on all of the hourly wage that I receive. Second, as a business owner, I have to pay my employees a living wage and pay insurance on that amount also. Restaurants don't have to do this, so their profit structure is much different than any other business. Sure, I will leave a tip when the circumstances warrant it, but not routinely. I give the oil delivery man a tip, because he is courteous and careful when he delivers. I don't tip the UPS driver, but my wife always makes cookies for him at Christmas. I personally feel that the method of "mandatory" tipping is long over overdue to be removed from our society. Let ALL business's succeed or fair according to merit, not by using employees at slave labor wages.
I have to leave, but when I come back, I will tell the story of the barber and tips.....

 

[thcri]

Good response Junk.

But ....
If you knew they were getting the same minimum wage as everyone else is guaranteed, would everyone still tip as much?

I don't beleive in paying everybody the same wages within a job. I believe it's fruits are laziness. The good employees start seeing how the lazy ones work and start following suit. The lazy ones don't ever see the hard working ones and/or step up to their standards. If you pay everyone the same we will still tip because we want our food hot, on time, as ordered and our beverage full. If there is no tipping our food will sit up on the hot plate, will not be as ordered and beverage cup empty. If the waiter or waitress is good, damn let them make as money as they can or what the market will bear. Why would we set up a system to hold them back. The good waiters/waitresses will find a different job and we will end up with a bunch of no good waiters/waitresses. Under the present system if they are worthless they have one of two choices, find another job or follow a good waiter or waitress and pick up the pace.

Junk I am going to pick on you a bit and use your oil guy for an example. You tip him for reasons and I think that is great. I would never tip him because I don't care when the oil gets there as long as it gets there before I need it. Now if I ran out and had to call him on Christmas Eve, you bet I would tip him. I had a piano many years ago delivered as a surprise Christmas present for my wife. It was delivered late on Christmas Eve. Yep I tipped the two delivery boys.

As far as the minimum wage I hate the fact that the senator had to point blame on the Republicans. That is assin9 as the minimum wage law gets voted on just about every two or three years. The Democrats have just as much responsibility as the Republicans. Minnesota has been until the last election predominently Democrat and they are the ones that voted the last time the minimum wage thing went through and today they are blaming it on the present administration. Get a life.

We also found out that the minimum wage thing didn't mean didley because the majority of the people were making way more than what the minimum was. The only people making less was the waiters/waitresses and with tips they were making more. Here we go again, using Junk's name again. Junk stated that he would expect them people to pay taxes on the dollars they make and I agree. I beleive most states you do have to report it. Yes I am sure some cheating goes on but when added to your credit card it is registered.

Ok, did I say enough?

murph

 

[Junkman]

Seems that this thread isn't going to go anywhere, so I will let the cat out of the bag. Yes, the email is true and so is my reply. The part that the email doesnt address is that if the minimum wage were to be increased, then so will all other wages, especially those that work under a union contract. Most, if not all union contracts have a cost of living clause that is also tied to the minimum wage. If the minimum wage goes up by $2.00, then all union workers will get a pay increase that is also $2.00. That is why this is being promoted by the Senator..... he wants to help the unions so they will kick in more dollars for his upcoming Senatorial race....... With politicians, you have to think beyond what they are telling you and look to see where the greatest amount of gain is in it for them..... Junk......

 

[thcri]

That is why this is being promoted by the Senator..... he wants to help the unions so they will kick in more dollars for his upcoming Senatorial race....... With politicians, you have to think beyond what they are telling you and look to see where the greatest amount of gain is in it for them..... Junk......

It figures. I am sorry but unions and politicians are not to be trusted in my book. And especially politicians that help or are on the side of unions.

murph

 

[Doc]

but what about:

I have to leave, but when I come back, I will tell the story of the barber and tips.....

 

[HGM]

I couldnt agree more Murph....

The idea that you must increase minimum wage to support someone who has no desire to better themselves is complete Then again to blame it on the Republicans How long has the minimum wage been where it is?? How many Democrats have had a chance to change it??? The fact of the matter, if I were making $5 per hour and had an oportunity to make $7 instead, with no more effort on my part, I guess I would.. However, on the other hand ,if I was making $5per hr as an adult, I would be very ashamed of myself... We live in the most prosperous country in the world, there is no excuse to live on minimum wage for an extended period of time.. When I was growing up, the minimum wage jobs were for high school kids just getting started, not a career move for adults.. If we would raise the wage to $7per hr and get rid of welfare, I may agree.. BUT, it better not include the unions..

I support the union worker who is keeping up on his end of the bargain by working for the company that promissed him security.. But the company that agreed to union demands made a big mistake and have created an entitlement mentality in the workforce that is contributing to many companies failures.. If the trend continues, who knows, maybe we'll all be on minimum wage and this will become more relevent since it effects us all.. Right now, I'll stand with my comments...

I worked as a dealer tech for 15yrs, on "flat rate"... Basicly, thats comission, if your not familliar.. What was my minimum wage??? Technicaly, I think the fed's mandated that if I didnt turn enough hours, the dealer would have to pay me minimum wage.. I NEVER let that happen.. Why would I?? If I was lazy and gauranteed a wage, maybe I wouldnt have worked so hard.. Simple fact, if your comfortable with a gaurantee, you'll become lazy and unproductive.. If you want more, you'll keep trying..

Now, if you want to look at everyone(even beyond the waitress) what about the middle class? If you've had the same job for 10yrs, how much has the pay increased(for the same work)? Compare this to gas prices, and just the cost of living in general.. Everyones pinched, I feel the least for someone who doesnt try, but the guys who's toped out and doesnt get merit increases when he does a good job, thats wrong..

 

[bczoom]

Junk

You still haven't told the story of the barber and tips...

 

[Dargo]

A guy who was in my home room in high school owns a local McDonalds franchise. I've spoken with him several times about the minimum wage thing since, in his words, everyone associates minimum wage with McDonalds. He tells me that it is true that most young high school age kids who start their first job with him are paid minimum wage. However, he told me how much it really costs per hour for those people. For example, do you know how much time of a person making more than minimum wage has to spend training the new minimum wage person? Do you know how often they have to replace that minimum wage person? Do you know that in 2 months that new "trainee" moves above minimum wage?

I don't think I should give out specifics since they are calculated by McDonalds corporate, but I assure you that your happy meal will go up quite a bit if minimum wage goes up $2 per hour. The employers are not the ones who will have to absorb the increase; it will be the consumers. It will be the very same people who are making minimum wage that will feel it the most. Who do you think it will effect more if a happy meal goes up a buck fifty; me or a single mother living in section 8 housing feeding 5 kids? Who is fooling who here?

 

[waybomb]

The employers are not the ones who will have to absorb the increase; it will be the consumers. It will be the very same people who are making minimum wage that will feel it the most. Who do you think it will effect more if a happy meal goes up a buck fifty; me or a single mother living in section 8 housing feeding 5 kids? Who is fooling who here?

Same goes for taxes - Tax the businesses is what the dems say. Well fellas, the business is not going to reduce their own profit. They will simply pass the cost on.