Perchoutofwater Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Higher minimum wage is coming soon. My question is, does anyone that works full time really make minimum wage? I know high school and even some college kids working part time might make minimum wage, but aside from that, does anyone really make minimum wage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Higher minimum wage is coming soon. My question is, does anyone that works full time really make minimum wage? I know high school and even some college kids working part time might make minimum wage, but aside from that, does anyone really make minimum wage? I imagine a lot in my industry do. Mind you, the only people I pay minimum wage to are the waiters because, with tips, they make more than everyone but management and bartenders. I think it's rather standard to start dishwashers at minimum, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Most lifeguards are high school kids making minimum wage, as are a LOT of landscaping personnel. I also pay my busboys minimum wage, and they get a small cut of waiter/bartender tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 My lowest paid ditch digger makes $10.65 an hour, which assuming he has a family of four puts him above the poverty line even if his wife doesn't work. One thing that really shocked me was 33 hours is considered the average work week. Again, aside from part-time school kids, who only works 33 hours a week on average? If that is the average, that might be why we have some of the problems we are having as a country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Again, aside from part-time school kids, who only works 33 hours a week on average? The only waiters who work more than that are the guys who are really hustling for shifts. While maybe not enough to pull the average down to 33, there are a lot of waiters out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 My lowest paid ditch digger makes $10.65 an hour, I guess I have a more abundant labor pool than you. My grounds crew guys start at 8 bucks and work their way up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I guess I have a more abundant labor pool than you. My grounds crew guys start at 8 bucks and work their way up. More abundant than in TX? With all the Mexicans? I'd bet Perch just realizes when dealing with high-dollar construction tools, equipment and supplies you're better off to pay a little more to try and get quality. Your guys are just un-bailing the pine straw and pushing the spreader around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 My lowest paid ditch digger makes $10.65 an hour, which assuming he has a family of four puts him above the poverty line even if his wife doesn't work. One thing that really shocked me was 33 hours is considered the average work week. Again, aside from part-time school kids, who only works 33 hours a week on average? If that is the average, that might be why we have some of the problems we are having as a country. How a family of 4 could live on $22,152.00 of gross pay is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbimm Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 My lowest paid ditch digger makes $10.65 an hour, which assuming he has a family of four puts him above the poverty line even if his wife doesn't work. One thing that really shocked me was 33 hours is considered the average work week. Again, aside from part-time school kids, who only works 33 hours a week on average? If that is the average, that might be why we have some of the problems we are having as a country. The poverty line is really screwed up. I might not starve on $10.65 an hour but I would have a very hard time keeping up with the cost of things in our world today. I will not argue this with you as I have beaten it like Barbaro with my boss. He hires our helpers at 7 bucks an hour cash and thinks he is overpaying them. He remembers when 3 bucks an hour was OK and can't let it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 More abundant than in TX? With all the Mexicans? I'd bet Perch just realizes when dealing with high-dollar construction tools, equipment and supplies you're better off to pay a little more to try and get quality. Your guys are just un-bailing the pine straw and pushing the spreader around... This is correct. While there are laborers shifting bricks on construction sites, most of the guys there are well trained, experienced and skilled. They don't work for minimum nor anything close, nor should they. A good crew is worth it's weight in gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 How a family of 4 could live on $22,152.00 of gross pay is beyond me. +1. Assuming the mortgage has faded into history, I figured out a few months ago that (without even counting property tax and health insurance) I'm going to need a minimum of $28k / year just for me and Mrs UM to tick over in retirement and that's leaving next to nothing aside for car emergencies and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbimm Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 How a family of 4 could live on $22,152.00 of gross pay is beyond me. They don't have much of a choice as it put's them in a tax bracket that forces them to make due with it. That tax bracket does allow for an earned income credit which as I remember it from many years ago did help at the beginning of the year. That money was very hard to live on, even with the credit, 20 years ago when that is what I earned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_am_the_swammi Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum wage matters because it is the basement from which higher pay is often calculated. If minimum wage is $7.25, and a company pays x% above, then unless they raise their mimimum pay, someone could easily say "Well, I can go make fries at Burger King and make a tad less than do manual labor for $9.00." Should help anyone working hourly as they too will have reason to request a higher hourly wage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 How a family of 4 could live on $22,152.00 of gross pay is beyond me. Well, I'm guessing his wife probably works as well. I also know that more that most of my guys average about 5 hours a week of overtime, so that is another $2,769. When my wife and I got married in 1996 we were making ends meet on $19,000 a year. It can be done, and it can be done fairly easily, you just don't eat out, you do all of your shopping at Wal-Mart, you live in a 400 square foot apartment that hasn't been renovated in 30 years, if you have internet it is dial-up. You don't have cable/satellite, you don't play fantasy football, you don't have new cars. You eat a lot ramen noodles. It can be done. Actually those were some pretty good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum wage matters because it is the basement from which higher pay is often calculated. If minimum wage is $7.25, and a company pays x% above, then unless they raise their mimimum pay, someone could easily say "Well, I can go make fries at Burger King and make a tad less than do manual labor for $9.00." Should help anyone working hourly as they too will have reason to request a higher hourly wage. Good stuff here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Your guys are just un-bailing the pine straw and pushing the spreader around... Not really . . . driving $35,000 lawn mowers isnt exactly pushing a spreader around. And most major cities have our fair share of Mexican labor too. Perch's comment about paying a "ditch digger" $10+ just doesnt fit in our business model. Our low end guys have the ability to work their way up in the organization and get more responsibility, skills, and then more $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum wage matters because it is the basement from which higher pay is often calculated. If minimum wage is $7.25, and a company pays x% above, then unless they raise their mimimum pay, someone could easily say "Well, I can go make fries at Burger King and make a tad less than do manual labor for $9.00." Should help anyone working hourly as they too will have reason to request a higher hourly wage. all of which is little more than a simple recipe for inflation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Washington has a minimum wage of $8.55, so it makes no difference here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum Wage should be at least $25.00 per hour. Prove me wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum wage matters because it is the basement from which higher pay is often calculated. If minimum wage is $7.25, and a company pays x% above, then unless they raise their mimimum pay, someone could easily say "Well, I can go make fries at Burger King and make a tad less than do manual labor for $9.00." Should help anyone working hourly as they too will have reason to request a higher hourly wage. Yep,it was upped by the democrat controlled congress in 2007 as a way to pay back their union backers. I really don't care all that much, because I don't have to deal with unions 99% of the time, and everyone that works for me or for most trade contractors makes well over minimum wage. The problem is the people stuff like this is supposed to help you know those very few that actually make minimum wage, are going to be hurt buy it, as this will cause inflation. It may also cause some employers to change the hours their employees work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum Wage should be at least $25.00 per hour. Prove me wrong. Nothing wrong with that as long as you don't mind paying $13.33 for a gallon of milk and $6.07 for a loaf of bread, or $13.62 for a Big Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Minimum Wage should be at least $25.00 per hour. Prove me wrong. Heck, every family of four should make $100,000/year! Prove ME wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Heck, every family of four should make $100,000/year! Prove ME wrong. Every single Mother with a snaggle-tooth and webbed toes should make at least $103,427.50 per year. YOU prove ME wrong!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 How a family of 4 could live on $22,152.00 of gross pay is beyond me. Same here. Maybe this is possible in Texas, but not where I live. And the folk who are good with the family of 4 making $22,152 a year also want to get rid of programs that help the very same people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheikYerbuti Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 you just don't eat out, you do all of your shopping at Wal-Mart, you live in a 400 square foot apartment that hasn't been renovated in 30 years, if you have internet it is dial-up. You don't have cable/satellite, you don't play fantasy football, you don't have new cars. You eat a lot ramen noodles. It can be done. Actually those were some pretty good times. Those don't sound like particularly good times. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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