3 ms·
> Force companies to pay a living wage. So what is a living wage for a teenager living at home? What is a living wage for a college student going to school fu
by gwright 14y ago
> Force companies to pay a living wage.
So what is a living wage for a teenager living at home? What is a living wage for a college student going to school full time but still supported by their parents? What is a living wage for a retired grandparent that wants to 'stay young'? How about for a spouse who just wants to be out of the house because the other member of the marriage brings home sufficient disposable income?
The notion that there is a single administratively selectable price point that is the 'minimum' wage for any and all job situations is a fallacy.
- scarmig 14y agoSome countries--Germany from what I understand, for instance--have sector and job class-specific minimum wages, which seems so eminently sane that it's impossible in the USA.
- bmmayer1 14y agoThere is no minimum wage in Germany.
- lostlogin 14y agoCould you expand on that please? Surely there is some kind of protection against 20 hour shifts for $20? How are workers protected?
- bmmayer1 14y agoMany industries have strong union presences that negotiate wages. But there is only a statutory minimum wage for 5-6 different jobs--painters, mailmen, etc. But in general, the best protection against low wages is the high mobility that low wage jobs offer.
- scarmig 14y agoNo direct statutory universal minimum wage. But sector-by-sector minimum wages are set by collective bargaining agreements. In Germany in particular, 70% of the labor force are covered by them. I admit to not knowing the full details of how it works in Germany--not many good sources on the Internet immediately apparent, so I'd be plenty eager to hear if I'm misunderstanding how it works.