So my state (MI) is planning to raise the minimum wage in 2 stages from $5.25 to $7.20. Many of the people I talk to have conflicting viewpoints about whether this will help or harm the economy...what do you think?

(Please think further than "I personally would get a pay increase...")

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Originally posted by clpo13:
Labor unions were a good idea way back when, but they've outlived their usefulness. I applied for part-time work at a Fred Meyer a while back and they told me that if I was hired, I'd have to join a union and pay dues, even if I didn't want to. Higher wages? Don't make me pay dues for a group I don't want to be a part of and I'll have a higher wage.

That's funny, when I was in high school I was going to work at a nearby Safeway. They told me the same thing. I was not interested in joining a union at 16 years old. I simply wanted a 10-15 hour per week job so I could go the movies every now and then and not get hassled when I asked for money from my parents. It is really pretty silly. Union shops are absolutely wrong. I am in favor of the premise of unions. I think people should be allowed to ban together and demand better wages from employers. Why though do there need to be formal institutions with dues and overhead and red tape? I don't know.

Labor unions were a good idea way back when, but they've outlived their usefulness. I applied for part-time work at a Fred Meyer a while back and they told me that if I was hired, I'd have to join a union and pay dues, even if I didn't want to. Higher wages? Don't make me pay dues for a group I don't want to be a part of and I'll have a higher wage.

No, by unions I mean labor unions. Do the car companies have liability, sure. They won't stand up and participate in this global market. They turn out garbage at higher prices than quality cars. This is partly due to thier high cost because of union benefits and collective bargaining agreements.

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Michigan has been in a recession for 20 years now. Want to know why, mostly due to unions. Unions drive up the cost of labor artificially.

Agreed. My sister owns a house in Michigan, and is in a major ammount of debt because of it. She is trying to sell it, but she is just going to loose money on it. Atleast she will be able to get some of her money back. (she is 28)

If by unions, you mean the Ford car company (sorry, I'm still confused on econonmics), then yes, for sure. Michigan needs some change. To bad, it's such pretty land. Atleast tourism is still there, somewhat.

quote:

Originally posted by horseartistgrl27:
Companies can pay below minimum wage, for those of you who don't know. Like Mcdonalds pays its tomato pickers 3 cents an hour. That's one reason why I boycott them.
My family believes that we will be entering a recession pretty soon. I'm still a little confused on the whole economic scale thing still. But I'm 13, and I'll learn soon. Besides, I have enough knoweldge to care about those migrant workers who get payed 3 cents and hour!

If by "migrant" you mean illegal then you are right. This is one of the resons to secure our borders, and make our immigration process easier. If we do that we can ensure that everyone has protection under the law. Companies cannot however pay their LEGAL workers less than minimum wage.

Michigan has been in a recession for 20 years now. Want to know why, mostly due to unions. Unions drive up the cost of labor artificially. They also usually bring down the productivity. Higher prices and lower quality is not something American consumers are interested in. The sad part is that the workers who are supposed to be helped by the unions now don't have jobs because of them.

Just for the record, a recession is considered to be in effect after 2 consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. That has yet to happen. In fact we haven't really had one yet. I know you hear about our depression-like economy everyday from the media, but it simply isn't true.

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My family believes that we will be entering a recession pretty soon.

Look around...at least in Michigan, we're already there!

Companies can pay below minimum wage, for those of you who don't know. Like Mcdonalds pays its tomato pickers 3 cents an hour. That's one reason why I boycott them.
My family believes that we will be entering a recession pretty soon. I'm still a little confused on the whole economic scale thing still. But I'm 13, and I'll learn soon. Besides, I have enough knoweldge to care about those migrant workers who get payed 3 cents and hour!

Raising minimum wage is just like the government price controlling the cost of goods. Wages should be set by the market, just like all other goods. Labor to make a chair is no different than the cost of the wood needed to make it. If the market says that it is worth a certain amount, then that is what it is worth. I would suppot abolishing the minimum wage. Unfortunately, the government has had their dirty hands in just about everything rendering any far-reaching reform unacheivable. Prices are overly inflated on things like housing because the government has restriced building and other unconstitutional legislation. In order to pay workers what they are worth, it would take a very long time for the price of housing and other goods to drop to where they should be. People could live on $3/hour if their rent was only $100/month.

I am not sure there is a huge problem but if there were, the fix would be less government regulation not more.

I'm aware of how buisnesses work.

What I'm saying is that there is a problem with the current system and I think it needs to be changed, I'm not saying there is a simple solution either.

Trisscar, you do realize that businesses don't pay anyb of their costs right. They don't pay taxes, labor, manufacturing cost, even light bulbs. Businesses pay noe of that, the consumer does. If you raise taxes to penalize business, you only penalize consumers. If you raise the minumum wage, they simply pass their extra labor cost onto consumers. In turn prices go up and the worker has no real increase in pay. He just makes more and has to pay more for things.

Some stats for you on actual minimum wage workers: http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2004.htm

Please I'm not stupid...

I understand that raising the minimum wage would effect the economy. What I mean is we need to find a viable way to increase the minumum wage so it is at par with basic living expenses. Right now, you can't live off of minum wage, and with the numurous unskilled workers that poses a problem. For a lot of people its not as easy as going to school, or upgrading, many unskilled workers work 2 or three jobs just to get by, many have families - and this effects our overall poverty levels in both Canada and the US.

What we need is not an increase in wage but the ability to adjust the economy to distribute wealth a bit more evenly.

$10 an hour? Why not $15 or $20? Hell, if everyone made $40 an hour everyone would be rich right?

Minimum wage here in my Province is 8.50 an hour... and its STILL not enough to live off of. I personally beleive that the minumum wage should be no less that 10 dollars an hour.

People should be able to live off of what they make if they're working full time. Ten bucks an hour is still on 80 dollars a day 250 a week 500 dollars a pay check. You can still only barely live off of that.

well i think alot, only because your currency is double mine, its life style, would it hurt the economy because the politians cant have more in their pay packet???

I have no idea what Coney is either... but hey, I dunno. We had a Friendlys in our city once and it was bought out. All I remember is that they had amazing ice cream and I miss it. Now all thats there is some stupid insurance company that went out of business. What a waste...

I think you are wrong about that one Hollie...I'm fairly certain that it's like a little cafe, kind of like Coney?

ah ok that makes sense. I think the reason I was getting paid $5 an hour was because my tips were taxed and distributed. But $2- $3 an hour is the usual wage waiters and waitresses get, which makes me feel alot better about what I got paid. Geez, thats barely anything, especially since most people are cheap and tip like a couple dollars.

But still, I thought Friendly's only served ice cream? I could be wrong...

Waiting tables doesn't apply for the minimum wage because of tipping. Almost every waiter/waitress I know gets paid like $2 an hour, but still make a decent amount in tips. This is why you shouldn't be a dick and be a cheapskate when it comes to tips.

Friendly's? Isn't that an ice cream shop? We used to have one of those...I loved that place
But $2 an hour? That doesn't make sense. I didn't think they sold anything other than ice cream? So why would they have to do any waitressing? And if they do get paid $2 an hour, first off I'm pretty sure that would be illegal and secondly why would anyone in their right mind get a job there?