Seattle and the minimum wage increase

[Benton]

(07-21-2015, 02:41 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Increased federal min wage is nothing more than a union payoff since most of those contracts are tied to thw min wage.    Matt is correct .... Federal min wage should be abolished.   Let the state's handle that issue.  


The bigger problem facing is the Mincome debate.    Soon enough we will be told that everyone deserves to make 50k.

Er, sorta, but backwards.

For a long time unions helped indirectly determine a basic pay rate for an area. That's why areas that have more union workers typically have higher incomes. If you live in an area with lots of union manufacturing jobs, you probably have an overall higher payscale for everything from car salesmen to gas station employees. So unions effect the average wage in places, but they don't go up in wages just because the minimum wage goes up. Although, a minimum wage hike will probably be part of any labor negotiation for a pay increase.

That's been part of the reason wages have fallen off since the 80s and the weakening of unions. Cost of living continues to rise, but there are fewer unions to offset that increase by negotiating pay increases on behalf of larger groups.

But I agree with you and Matt, no federal minimum wage. Although I would add that there should be a requirement states have some minimum wage statute.