Facebook Boosts Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
Facebook is raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour for contract workers.

The initiative, which began on May 1 but wasn't announced until Tuesday, will require that Facebook's contractors pay employees a $15 hourly minimum wage, offer 15 paid days off, and for workers who don't receive paid parental leave, $4,000 for new child benefits to new parents.
Click to expand...
 
I'm more surprised FB was paying contract workers less than $15/hr, even if they were "food-service, security and janitorial workers, among others".
 
#15AndAUnion!

It's very exciting to see this movement which started in Chicago 2 years ago demanding labor laws and fair treatment like most other 1st world economies have, and what America started once in the 50-60's, reaching mainstream and forcing so many companies and states to adopt higher wages.

Australia, the only nation to skip the world recession, has had a minimum wage of over $15 for years that is indexed to inflation (those under 18 get slightly less on a sliding scale). Today their minimum wage is $16.87 when converted to USD. Their Big Mac cost $4.95, in the USA our Big Mac cost $4.79. A $0.16 cost increase for more than doubling our low minimum wage and lifting millions out of poverty and ending both government and corporate handouts? Seems like a win-win to me. It's also worth noting their unemployment is lower per capita as well. This is mostly due to the fact that consumers spend more money when they have more money (purchasing power), thus increasing demand and increasing the need for more jobs, thus creating an upward cycle. In essence, the 1% still get their money at the end of the day, but giving people more money at the bottom helps everyone out.

Fun fact: If the USA's 1968 minimum wage of $1.60 during The Great Prosperity had been indexed to inflation and raising worker productivity as other nations do, our minimum wage would be over $20 like Denmark today. (For reference, Denmark's unemployment is 6.2% vs USAs 5.5%, however it's worth noting America does not include those who have given up looking for jobs in their unemployment numbers, giving a false impression of lower unemployment, real unemployment is estimated at 12.6% in the USA.)
 
Chunder I have to respectfully disagree with your assessment.

US unemployment is more like 11 or 12% including those who have completely stopped looking.
 
Well please disregard my previous post. I did not read the final sentence. Why can't I edit the post anymore?
 
Chunder said:
Fun fact: If the USA's 1968 minimum wage of $1.60 during The Great Prosperity had been indexed to inflation and raising worker productivity as other nations do, our minimum wage would be over $20 like Denmark today. (For reference, Denmark's unemployment is 6.2% vs USAs 5.5%, however it's worth noting America does not include those who have given up looking for jobs in their unemployment numbers, giving a false impression of lower unemployment, real unemployment is estimated at 12.6% in the USA.)
Click to expand...
That's a pretty starting arbitrary point. Smoothing it out historically, around $10 an hour in 2015 would be closer to an average value. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against raising the minimum wage. It's just that several sketchy metrics are often used to justify unusually high amounts (like the 1968 comparison point, productivity gains, etc).
 
This pretty much sums it up for me.

So, real talk: Your job isn’t worth 15 bucks an hour. Sure, as a human being, you’re priceless. As a child of God, you’re precious, a work of art, a freaking miracle. But your job wrapping hamburgers in foil and putting them in paper bags — that has a price tag, and the price tag ain’t anywhere close to the one our economy and society puts on teachers and mechanics.

Don’t like it? Well, you shouldn’t. It’s fast food. It’s menial. It’s mindless. It’s not supposed to be a career. It’s not supposed to be a living. An entry-level position making roast beef sandwiches at Arby’s isn’t meant to be something you do for 26 years. It isn’t paying enough? OK, get another job. Get a second job. Get a third job. Get a different job.
Click to expand...
 
Steve said:
This pretty much sums it up for me.
Click to expand...
No one is priceless, and I count myself among that number. In fact I'm pretty much worthless to any number of people, employers among them. My value to, say, an architectural or law firm is precisely $0.
 
Steve said:
This pretty much sums it up for me.
Click to expand...

This

I know people in Tech manufacturing that have been there over 15 years that don't make $15 per hour. To scale accordingly, you'd have to give them at least $20 p/hr for their skilled service.
It's sickening how this is turning into a, "I deserve this, I deserve that" handout society.
 
If you give all the dumbass people who are career cashiers at McDonalds then everyone who is currently is makeing $15-20 needs the same percentage raise.

Otherwise the inflation your going to create will hurt A LOT of people.
 
How does low wages across the board justify in your minds paying someone shitty, unlivable wages in the lowest segment of the work force?

If the argument becomes these low-wage earners shouldn't be making anywhere near skilled labor or educators, doesn't that beg that question in your mind why *those* other sectors are woefully underpaid, as well?
 
Budzman said:
If you give all the dumbass people who are career cashiers at McDonalds then everyone who is currently is makeing $15-20 needs the same percentage raise.

Otherwise the inflation your going to create will hurt A LOT of people.
Click to expand...
Someone already posted the real world effects in Australia. We also have Washington and SF as US examples. In both places, living wage ordinances boosted their economy.

Every time the minimum wage argument is raised, it's met with doom and gloom. Yet historically each time it's been raised the economy is bolstered.
 
mope54 said:
Someone already posted the real world effects in Australia. We also have Washington and SF as US examples. In both places, living wage ordinances boosted their economy.

Every time the minimum wage argument is raised, it's met with doom and gloom. Yet historically each time it's been raised the economy is bolstered.
Click to expand...

I agree. I know in my industry we have not kept pace with inflation and every year my buying power keeps falling. We are slowly killing the middle class by not standing together but instead stabbing each in the back to try to get ahead. At the end of the day it is up to us not the ritch.
 
Budzman said:
If you give all the dumbass people who are career cashiers at McDonalds then everyone who is currently is makeing $15-20 needs the same percentage raise.

Otherwise the inflation your going to create will hurt A LOT of people.
Click to expand...

What inflation?

There's cost-push inflation which happens when the cost of goods and services increase but that happens regardless. The middle class hasn't received a raise in real dollars since Jimmy Carter was in office but that hasn't stopped it from happening.

There's also hyperinflation which has nothing to do with wages. There have been many instances of wages being raised significantly throughout history but none of it led to any inflation of doom.
 
Chunder said:
#15AndAUnion!

It's very exciting to see this movement which started in Chicago 2 years ago demanding labor laws and fair treatment like most other 1st world economies have, and what America started once in the 50-60's, reaching mainstream and forcing so many companies and states to adopt higher wages.

Australia, the only nation to skip the world recession, has had a minimum wage of over $15 for years that is indexed to inflation (those under 18 get slightly less on a sliding scale). Today their minimum wage is $16.87 when converted to USD. Their Big Mac cost $4.95, in the USA our Big Mac cost $4.79. A $0.16 cost increase for more than doubling our low minimum wage and lifting millions out of poverty and ending both government and corporate handouts? Seems like a win-win to me. It's also worth noting their unemployment is lower per capita as well. This is mostly due to the fact that consumers spend more money when they have more money (purchasing power), thus increasing demand and increasing the need for more jobs, thus creating an upward cycle. In essence, the 1% still get their money at the end of the day, but giving people more money at the bottom helps everyone out.

Fun fact: If the USA's 1968 minimum wage of $1.60 during The Great Prosperity had been indexed to inflation and raising worker productivity as other nations do, our minimum wage would be over $20 like Denmark today. (For reference, Denmark's unemployment is 6.2% vs USAs 5.5%, however it's worth noting America does not include those who have given up looking for jobs in their unemployment numbers, giving a false impression of lower unemployment, real unemployment is estimated at 12.6% in the USA.)
Click to expand...
Gotta love how all idiots jump on the whole $15 minimum wage in Australia bandwagon while failing to comprehend that $15 AUD and $15 USD are 2 very different things. Not to mention the cost of living difference. Whenever the minimum wage goes up the cost of living goes up and those already making that wage or higher take a pay CUT. EVERYONE LOSES! My money went further when minimum wage was lower, but I must have been defying some law of economics right?
Back in 1968 $1.60 was GOOD MONEY! If the idiots that be hadn't screwed things up it might still be. Raising minimum wage raises inflation and the cost of doing business resulting in higher prices, negating all that "extra" money. As far as union go, my dad made that $1.60 back in the 60's, and though it was good money then, throughout the years his oh so wonderful union kept his current wages at the same levels after inflation adjustment...at a cost of some benefit being stripped every contract. Not to mention retention of the useless and/or lazy after repeated offenses (I wonder why that was) and the firing of "expendables" who made a mistake (read non minority).
And here we go with the whole "1%" thing. Funny how those who want to redistribute wealth are the same people who are part of the very "1%" they despise, yet have no intention of letting go of so much as pocket lint without an ulterior motive.
People need to pull their heads out of their asses and get their facts straight instead of just listening to the talking heads.
 
everyone loses, productivity goes down, retention rates go up, training costs go down

the sky is red, sunsets are blue, up is down, left is right

any other choice inversions of historical reality I should plug in?
 
Germanium said:
Inflation has always hurt people. It just currently benefits the rich and never the poor. Fuck the poor, though, right? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I would also love to know about this inflation you speak about... You must be referring to the inflation Japan has been experiencing since the 90's. rollseyes and :rolleyes:
 
Who's going to pay these people when the robots take der jobs? That's going to be the real issue.
 
mope54 said:
Yet historically each time it's been raised the economy is bolstered.
Click to expand...

Actually, in almost every case it has raised both inflation and unemployment. Plus it causes resentment in people who used to be making slightly more than the minimum wage.

I started out at $2.85/hour, making a little more than minimum wage because I was working the late shift. A few months later they raised the minimum wage, and now I was making the same as the latest green hire that couldn't even figure out how to put a burger and fries in a bag. Every time I managed to get a decent raise, the minimum wage would go up again and the newbies where again making the same as I was.

The only time it appears that it boasted the economy is when the economy was already growing and there was a shortage of people to hire. Of course this also means that most places where already paying above minimum wage already.
 
nutzo said:
Actually, in almost every case it has raised both inflation and unemployment. Plus it causes resentment in people who used to be making slightly more than the minimum wage.

Of course this also means that most places where already paying above minimum wage already.
Click to expand...
The difference between what you wrote and what I wrote is that your statements are historically and factually incorrect whereas mine are accurate.

The nice thing about history is that it's sitting right there for anyone to look at so we can now reject claims like yours as the falsehoods they always have been.
 
mope54 said:
The difference between what you wrote and what I wrote is that your statements are historically and factually incorrect whereas mine are accurate.

The nice thing about history is that it's sitting right there for anyone to look at so we can now reject claims like yours as the falsehoods they always have been.
Click to expand...

Think you have that backwards. All you have to do is look at California and what their higher than the national average labor costs have done to the economy (along with the excessive taxes and regulations).

Unless you are going into management, McDonalds is not a career. The point of low wage, low skill jobs is not to say in one and demand more money, it's to get some experience and then move on to something better. Raise the minimum wage high enough and most these jobs will disappear.

And if they raise the rate to $15/hour, they will be demanding $20/hours in a few more years.
At $15/hour you will see more jobs eliminated. Just like you have to pump your own gas, and scan your own groceries, you will soon be ordering your own lunch/dinner off a touch screen (no more order taking jobs).
 
So all I need to do is look at California, our nation's largest economy, 8th largest economy in the world as an example of what higher than national average wages do to an economy?

Sounds like a solid argument you got there...
 
Out of curiousity, for the people that think $15 an hour is too high, what would they considerable reasonable living wages? Not "comfortable", but "can get by"?
 
It is always people not making minimum wage who whine whenever the prospect of minimum wage being raised is on the table.

Hey guy complaining, your job which doesn't stand to get a wage increase is not really that important. A job is a job.
 
Despotes said:
It's sickening how this is turning into a, "I deserve this, I deserve that" handout society.
Click to expand...
Except it hasn't at all and its a gross misrepresentation of reality (read: flat out lying) to say this.

Wages haven't been keeping up with inflation and the rising cost of living for decades making everyone in effect poorer than our parents and grandparents were when they worked similar jobs.



It used to be common place to have 1 person work and the other stay home and watch the kids and you could own a house on that 1 wage. Defined benefit pensions and decent health benefits were also once common place too.

Now both parents HAVE to work full time jobs and owning a house is nearly impossible. And pensions? HAHAHAHA. You're lucky to get offered a 401k/403b which maybe the employer does some matching for the first $500 or so you put in to it. And 401k/403b's have generally been bad at providing for people's retirement so people have to work longer these days. And healthcare benefits? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. They're usually crap these days if they're even offered at all.

Asking to be paid and compensated effectively the same as what your parents were for the same work is hardly an unreasonable demand.
 
Staples said:
Hey guy complaining, your job which doesn't stand to get a wage increase is not really that important. A job is a job.
Click to expand...
Crabs in a bucket mentality is one of the biggest issues with trying to improve anything in the US right now.

Usually things have to get pretty bad before people are willing to snap out of it and stop voting against their interests but it always takes quite a while for that to happen.
 
mesyn191 said:
Crabs in a bucket mentality is one of the biggest issues with trying to improve anything in the US right now.

Usually things have to get pretty bad before people are willing to snap out of it and stop voting against their interests but it always takes quite a while for that to happen.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm predicting we'll hit banana republic status before that happens.
 
mesyn191 said:
Except it hasn't at all and its a gross misrepresentation of reality (read: flat out lying) to say this.

Wages haven't been keeping up with inflation and the rising cost of living for decades making everyone in effect poorer than our parents and grandparents were when they worked similar jobs.



It used to be common place to have 1 person work and the other stay home and watch the kids and you could own a house on that 1 wage. Defined benefit pensions and decent health benefits were also once common place too.

Now both parents HAVE to work full time jobs and owning a house is nearly impossible. And pensions? HAHAHAHA. You're lucky to get offered a 401k/403b which maybe the employer does some matching for the first $500 or so you put in to it. And 401k/403b's have generally been bad at providing for people's retirement so people have to work longer these days. And healthcare benefits? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. They're usually crap these days if they're even offered at all.

Asking to be paid and compensated effectively the same as what your parents were for the same work is hardly an unreasonable demand.
Click to expand...

I don't know what industry you work in, but finding a decent match program is not difficult. Hell, I can support my family on just my income AND get a 8.5 percent company match (which is waaaaay more than $500) for my 401k. My wife just simply wants to work...which is fine because all that money just gets stashed away. Our health insurance is also pretty good too...and most companies worth a shit offer very competive plans. Also, owning a house is not nearly "impossible"...it's just not going to happen on minimum wage, $15 or not. If you want nice things maybe you should find a skill or a career that can afford you such things...which usually means working harder at improving yourself than the easily replaced people demanding higher pay for a no-skill job.
 
mynamehere said:
Gotta love how all idiots jump on the whole $15 minimum wage in Australia bandwagon while failing to comprehend that $15 AUD and $15 USD are 2 very different things. Not to mention the cost of living difference. Whenever the minimum wage goes up the cost of living goes up and those already making that wage or higher take a pay CUT. EVERYONE LOSES! My money went further when minimum wage was lower, but I must have been defying some law of economics right?
Back in 1968 $1.60 was GOOD MONEY! If the idiots that be hadn't screwed things up it might still be. Raising minimum wage raises inflation and the cost of doing business resulting in higher prices, negating all that "extra" money. As far as union go, my dad made that $1.60 back in the 60's, and though it was good money then, throughout the years his oh so wonderful union kept his current wages at the same levels after inflation adjustment...at a cost of some benefit being stripped every contract. Not to mention retention of the useless and/or lazy after repeated offenses (I wonder why that was) and the firing of "expendables" who made a mistake (read non minority).
And here we go with the whole "1%" thing. Funny how those who want to redistribute wealth are the same people who are part of the very "1%" they despise, yet have no intention of letting go of so much as pocket lint without an ulterior motive.
People need to pull their heads out of their asses and get their facts straight instead of just listening to the talking heads.
Click to expand...


Yea, this is 100% the fault of raising the minimum wage, and has nothing to do with us getting into multiple wars we can't afford, and just printing money to pay for it.... Just 1 example of MANY problems that got us to the point we're at. And in the 60's you could get a house for 40k and a car for 2-3k... Take a look at the charts of the percentage of an average workers salary to buy items like those then compared to now. Wages have not kept up with inflation at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top