Minimum Wage $15hr....Meet Your Replacement

[RW]

I don't believe most people will pay more money for a service they can easily do themselves. Raise the price of a dark roast at Starbuck's and I will use a machine to pay for it and then pour it myself.

LOL! Starbucks.  Do you know what the profit margin is on coffee?!  I don't know why we gripe about paying the poor folks who pour your coffee an extra 20c an hour but we have no problem lining the pockets of CEOs and shareholders. The CEO of Starbucks is worth $2.8 BILLION btw making $149 million from salary and cashing in his stock options last year (he owns 18 million shares yet).  Shareholders received $1.2 BILLION in dividends last year. Why don't you get up and arms about that?



I saw two things raise the price of my cup of coffee and neither related to minimum wage increases.  One was the introduction of the HST.  When the HST was pulled, prices didn't go back down either.  The second was the increases in fuel costs.



If services in these huge corps do get automated, it's to make sure the lining of the pockets of CEOs and shareholders remain golden not because Jimmy who pours your coffee makes a few extra cents an hour.

I don't know or care what any employee from Starbucks from the CEO on down earns. I do know if they keep raising prices for things I am more than capable of doing myself, I would be more than happy to pour my own and pay by machine. Their dark roast is pretty good, but not good enough that I am willing to pay 20-35 per cent more for it.

Are they charging you more for it?  If so, why should their greed mean people should lose their jobs?

[Anonymous]

I don't believe most people will pay more money for a service they can easily do themselves. Raise the price of a dark roast at Starbuck's and I will use a machine to pay for it and then pour it myself.

LOL! Starbucks.  Do you know what the profit margin is on coffee?!  I don't know why we gripe about paying the poor folks who pour your coffee an extra 20c an hour but we have no problem lining the pockets of CEOs and shareholders. The CEO of Starbucks is worth $2.8 BILLION btw making $149 million from salary and cashing in his stock options last year (he owns 18 million shares yet).  Shareholders received $1.2 BILLION in dividends last year. Why don't you get up and arms about that?



I saw two things raise the price of my cup of coffee and neither related to minimum wage increases.  One was the introduction of the HST.  When the HST was pulled, prices didn't go back down either.  The second was the increases in fuel costs.



If services in these huge corps do get automated, it's to make sure the lining of the pockets of CEOs and shareholders remain golden not because Jimmy who pours your coffee makes a few extra cents an hour.

I don't know or care what any employee from Starbucks from the CEO on down earns. I do know if they keep raising prices for things I am more than capable of doing myself, I would be more than happy to pour my own and pay by machine. Their dark roast is pretty good, but not good enough that I am willing to pay 20-35 per cent more for it.

Are they charging you more for it?  If so, why should their greed mean people should lose their jobs?

No, prices haven't changed that much lately. I noticed prices are changing at the grocery store, but that's because of a low canuck buck. I'm just saying if prices get out of hand at Starbucks for any reason, I would prefer they cancel the work permits of the foreign staff, use automation and let me pour my own. There is a limit to what I will pay for something I am capable and willing to do for myself.

[RW]

So why don't you just make coffee at home?

[Anonymous]

So why don't you just make coffee at home?

My husband gets free coffee at work..



But, these days he does residential electrical on the side..



I fill his thermos with coffee before he leaves.

[reel]

Isn't it a good thing that manual labour jobs become automated away?  There used to be thousands of peasants who tilled, sowed, and reaped the fields.  Back breaking labour that paid poorly and was generally unenjoyable.  That was automated away and millions of people "lost their jobs".  But we seem to have carried on.  People had to find other productive occupations or get educated, they did, and the world was better for it.



What happens if the minimum wage jobs disappear?  Do we see a big spike in unemployment or do we see more innovation and creativity from people who no longer have the option of working in a job where they are supposed to simulate a robot.  I used one of these self-service fast food kiosks in the airport recently.  It was pretty much exactly the same experience (except ironically, I skipped quite a long line-up of people waiting to talk to the person at the counter).  I personally think a lot of people get trapped in these jobs because they are easy and reliable.  People need some motivation.

[reel]

You want something to be mad about, try this on:



There used to be a government program in the massive bureaucratic centres in Ottawa and Gatineau where they would hire mentally challenged folk to water the plants in the building.  It gave the mentally challenged a decent job suited to their capabilities, where they otherwise would likely be unable to work, and made a nicer environment for the workers.  The Conservatives cut the program funding, fired all the mentally challenged people, and sold off all the plants at ridiculously low prices to save a bit of money.  That was a good program.  Significantly increasing minimum wage just encourages people who could be doing better things with themselves not to do so.

[Annie]

There's always a downfall to what seems to be a solution.

That is true GrAnnie..



I know it's not relevant to the topic, but when is your grandchild due?

The baby is due in January  ac_dance  I've had no power for the past 3 days because of the storm  

[Anonymous]

Isn't it a good thing that manual labour jobs become automated away?  There used to be thousands of peasants who tilled, sowed, and reaped the fields.  Back breaking labour that paid poorly and was generally unenjoyable.  That was automated away and millions of people "lost their jobs".  But we seem to have carried on.  People had to find other productive occupations or get educated, they did, and the world was better for it.



What happens if the minimum wage jobs disappear?  Do we see a big spike in unemployment or do we see more innovation and creativity from people who no longer have the option of working in a job where they are supposed to simulate a robot.  I used one of these self-service fast food kiosks in the airport recently.  It was pretty much exactly the same experience (except ironically, I skipped quite a long line-up of people waiting to talk to the person at the counter).  I personally think a lot of people get trapped in these jobs because they are easy and reliable.  People need some motivation.

Taiwan has automated some manual jobs because Taiwanese shun that kind of work.

[RW]

You want something to be mad about, try this on:



There used to be a government program in the massive bureaucratic centres in Ottawa and Gatineau where they would hire mentally challenged folk to water the plants in the building.  It gave the mentally challenged a decent job suited to their capabilities, where they otherwise would likely be unable to work, and made a nicer environment for the workers.  The Conservatives cut the program funding, fired all the mentally challenged people, and sold off all the plants at ridiculously low prices to save a bit of money.  That was a good program.  Significantly increasing minimum wage just encourages people who could be doing better things with themselves not to do so.

The majority of minimum wage earners are under the age of 24.  These are starter jobs which give the inexperienced their first crack at employment.  Doing away with jobs like these gives those who are trying to get their foot in the employment door fewer opportunities.  



I also see people talking about inflation from minimum wage but the reason we have increases to minimum wage is to keep up with inflation which is caused by things like currency exchange, rising fuel prices, etc.

[Renee]

You want something to be mad about, try this on:



There used to be a government program in the massive bureaucratic centres in Ottawa and Gatineau where they would hire mentally challenged folk to water the plants in the building.  It gave the mentally challenged a decent job suited to their capabilities, where they otherwise would likely be unable to work, and made a nicer environment for the workers.  The Conservatives cut the program funding, fired all the mentally challenged people, and sold off all the plants at ridiculously low prices to save a bit of money.  That was a good program.  Significantly increasing minimum wage just encourages people who could be doing better things with themselves not to do so.

The majority of minimum wage earners are under the age of 24.  These are starter jobs which give the inexperienced their first crack at employment.  Doing away with jobs like these gives those who are trying to get their foot in the employment door fewer opportunities.  



I also see people talking about inflation from minimum wage but the reason we have increases to minimum wage is to keep up with inflation which is caused by things like currency exchange, rising fuel prices, etc.

Well since that is the case they don't need $15 an hour to take someones order and hopefully plug it correctly into a touch screen. Let's be serious, NO ONE working in a entry level fast food or retail job is worth 15 bucks an hour...... $10 - $12 dollars an hour maybe, at best.

[RW]

What decides what someone doing a job is worth?

[Renee]

What decides what someone doing a job is worth?

Skill set, cost of the commodity and what consumers are willing to pay, the availability of workforce.



Any HS kid or recent grad can be taught to preform a low level unskilled fast food or retail job. They are also a dime a dozen. That in itself precludes them from being $15 dollar an hour employees.  



Hopefully you do not think that paying some kid more than what the market will bare, simply because of some out of touch, prog ideology, regarding a "living wage" for flipping burgers or emptying garbage cans, makes good economic sense. I'm all for raising the minimum wage but lets keep it commensurate with the kind of jobs it is meant for. As you stated, these are starter jobs, they are not meant to be careers. From a retail business managers standpoint, paying someone 15 dollars an hour so that they can stand there with an empty head and a blank look on their face as they ring up your cheese doodles and energy drinks is simply ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

You want something to be mad about, try this on:



There used to be a government program in the massive bureaucratic centres in Ottawa and Gatineau where they would hire mentally challenged folk to water the plants in the building.  It gave the mentally challenged a decent job suited to their capabilities, where they otherwise would likely be unable to work, and made a nicer environment for the workers.  The Conservatives cut the program funding, fired all the mentally challenged people, and sold off all the plants at ridiculously low prices to save a bit of money.  That was a good program.  Significantly increasing minimum wage just encourages people who could be doing better things with themselves not to do so.

The majority of minimum wage earners are under the age of 24.  These are starter jobs which give the inexperienced their first crack at employment.  Doing away with jobs like these gives those who are trying to get their foot in the employment door fewer opportunities.  



I also see people talking about inflation from minimum wage but the reason we have increases to minimum wage is to keep up with inflation which is caused by things like currency exchange, rising fuel prices, etc.

Well since that is the case they don't need $15 an hour to take someones order and hopefully plug it correctly into a touch screen. Let's be serious, NO ONE working in a entry level fast food or retail job is worth 15 bucks an hour...... $10 - $12 dollars an hour maybe, at best.

Less than that Renee. These jobs are going to disappear....no fucking question about it. I have been to countries where it is already happening.

[RW]

Which countries?

[Anonymous]

Wal Mart cut hours after raising pay.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/09/01/of-course-walmart-cut-hours-after-raising-pay-what-did-anyone-expect/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall ... ne-expect/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/09/01/of-course-walmart-cut-hours-after-raising-pay-what-did-anyone-expect/