Will the labor shortage now end? Millions of Americans Set to Lose Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Next Week, No Signs of States Extending

[Dragonlady]

No, we wouldn't. I actually enjoy working on things. I don't wish to be a blob on a couch.

Apparently you do.

I briefly worked for a man who was convinced that the moment his back was turned, the staff quit working and put their feet up on our desks, eating bon bons and drinking coffee. He kept his office door open at all times, so he could keep an eye on us. He even tried installing a camera he could watch from his smart phone, until we shut that shit down.

But he could never explain how it was that we got so much more work done when he was away on vacation, than we got done while he was in the office, micromanaging our time. Like a LOT more. With no constant interruptions, and his backup answering all our concerns as they came up, allowing us to proceed immediately, we were able to get caught up and work well ahead of our deadlines, not right at them.

The big Bay Street firm I worked for was so loosey goosey on rules and regulations, it was like total freedom. Flex hours of YOUR choosing. Generous pay and benefits. I looked forward to going to work each day. There was no micro-managing, but when issues arose, the supervising lawyers dealt with them, quickly issuing proper instructions/guidance. No one ever left we were so happy there. We posted more billable hours than any of the 7 Sisters. Our firm had the reputation for being the "hardest working firm on Bay Street".

 

[Oldestyle]

Did you consider it authoritarianism when you couldn't go to public school unless you were vaccinated?

There is a HUGE difference between vaccines we've used in the past...that had gone through years and years of testing and that we knew what the side effects were long term...and the so called vaccines that we're now being pressured to take, Dragonlady! Make no mistake about it...if you're getting these vaccines...YOU ARE THE GUINEA PIG'S IN THE TESTING OF SAID VACCINES!!!

If you're OK with that then more power to you! I respectfully decline to participate.

 

[Dragonlady]

There is a HUGE difference between vaccines we've used in the past...that had gone through years and years of testing and that we knew what the side effects were long term...and the so called vaccines that we're now being pressured to take, Dragonlady! Make no mistake about it...if you're getting these vaccines...YOU ARE THE GUINEA PIG'S IN THE TESTING OF SAID VACCINES!!!

If you're OK with that then more power to you! I respectfully decline to participate.

These vaccines have been under development since 2003, after the SARS outbreak and have been researched and tested for nearly 20 years. Searchers simply lacked a large group of test subjects to do mass testing on. The Covid epidemic has provided the large groups for mass testing required at the end of the process.

We had absolutely no idea of the long-term effects of the polio vaccine when I took it, nor any of the other vaccines that I was given in the 50s and 60s. The long term of the effect of these vaccines and drugs isn’t known for years after they’re administered in large numbers.

The rollout of these covid vaccines has been one of the safest and most effective in history, and with the fewest side effects.

BULLSHIT. If you made $400 a week at McD or could stay home for $350, you're a fucking liar.

Yes we all enjoy working on things. It's called a hobby stupid.

And I wouldn't have been a blob on a couch. I would have spent a lot more time on my Ebike, up north at the property, on my boat and in the woods walking my dogs..

But in order to make $400 a week at McD's, you'd have to work for 62 hours per week @ $7.50 per hour, to take home that amount, and you'd have child care and transportation expenses to pay off the top. And therein lies the problem. You really can't afford to work for $7.50 per hour, and the economy cannot afford to continue to subsidize McDonald's wages with Food Stamps and Section 8 vouchers, as well as Medicaid.

It is better and cheaper for the economy for McDonalds to pay front line workers first, and corporate last, instead of the other way around.

It is time for corporations such as McDonalds, to pay their employees $400 per week for a 40 hour week

 

[sealybobo]

These vaccines have been under development since 2003, after the SARS outbreak and have been researched and tested for nearly 20 years. Searchers simply lacked a large group of test subjects to do mass testing on. The Covid epidemic has provided the large groups for mass testing required at the end of the process.

We had absolutely no idea of the long-term effects of the polio vaccine when I took it, nor any of the other vaccines that I was given in the 50s and 60s. The long term of the effect of these vaccines and drugs isn’t known for years after they’re administered in large numbers.

The rollout of these covid vaccines has been one of the safest and most effective in history, and with the fewest side effects.




But in order to make $400 a week at McD's, you'd have to work for 62 hours per week @ $7.50 per hour, to take home that amount, and you'd have child care and transportation expenses to pay off the top. And therein lies the problem. You really can't afford to work for $7.50 per hour, and the economy cannot afford to continue to subsidize McDonald's wages with Food Stamps and Section 8 vouchers, as well as Medicaid.

It is better and cheaper for the economy for McDonalds to pay front line workers first, and corporate last, instead of the other way around.

It is time for corporations such as McDonalds, to pay their employees $400 per week for a 40 hour week

I think they are paying $10 hr now. More actually.

 

[westwall]

BULLSHIT. If you made $400 a week at McD or could stay home for $350, you're a fucking liar.

Yes we all enjoy working on things. It's called a hobby stupid.

And I wouldn't have been a blob on a couch. I would have spent a lot more time on my Ebike, up north at the property, on my boat and in the woods walking my dogs..

What property moron. If all you make is 400 bucks you DON'T HAVE property. On the other hand, if you WORK, you can eventually buy some property. You losers are all the same.

 

[Dragonlady]

BULLSHIT. If you made $400 a week at McD or could stay home for $350, you're a fucking liar.

Yes we all enjoy working on things. It's called a hobby stupid.

And I wouldn't have been a blob on a couch. I would have spent a lot more time on my Ebike, up north at the property, on my boat and in the woods walking my dogs..

But in order to make $400 a week at McD's, you'd have to work for 62 hours per week @ $7.50 per hour, to take home that amount, and you'd have child care and transportation expenses to pay off the top. And therein lies the problem. You really can't afford to work for $7.50 per hour, and the economy cannot afford to continue to subsidize McDonald's wages with Food Stamps and Section 8 vouchers, as well as Medicaid.

It is better and cheaper for the economy for McDonalds to pay front line workers first, and corporate last, instead of the other way around.

It is time for corporations such as McDonalds, to pay their employees $400 net of withholding per week for a 40 hour work week, with the Obama overtime rules reinstated. Plus health insurance for all employees. If that means that corporate is not longer one of the most profitable companies in America, than so be it, but corporate and its shareholders are making record profits off the fiscally predatory practices in milking franchisees of every dollar they possibly can. When McDonald's was selling stores for $250,000 per, it was impossible to lose money buying a McDonald's franchise. Now it's impossible to make money with one.

Even before covid, McDonald's Playland Restaurants were getting written up for dirty diapers and dead rodents in the ball pits. Store owners are cutting back on cleaning and pest control expenses, since virtually all of their business needs - furniture, fixtures, napkins, food, are all provided by corporate at whatever price they set for them. The buildings are old, and dirty, and the franchisees have no money to improve them, because it all goes to corporate.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

But in order to make $400 a week at McD's, you'd have to work for 62 hours per week @ $7.50 per hour, to take home that amount, and you'd have child care and transportation expenses to pay off the top. And therein lies the problem. You really can't afford to work for $7.50 per hour, and the economy cannot afford to continue to subsidize McDonald's wages with Food Stamps and Section 8 vouchers, as well as Medicaid.

Let me tell you what the real problem is: if all you can make is $7.50 an hour, you had no business having kids in the first place. But if you irresponsibly did have kids, then you cry to the government to remedy your irresponsible decisions.

So what you are suggesting is that it should be up to private industry to overpay their employees to compensate for their irresponsibility. WTF did that become their responsibility.

A much better route would be for us to deter the procreation of poor and stupid people. After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. When you apply for welfare, you must be fixed first. No more having kids that the public would have to support. Then you would be able to make it on lower wages since you only have yourself to worry about.

And before you say such a plan would be barbaric, what do you think working people do when they can't afford anymore children? They get fixed.

 

[Dragonlady]

I think they are paying $10 hr now. More actually.

That still doesn't translate to $400 per week. First there's withholding - 15%, takes it down to $340 right off the hop. Then transportation, to and from. Even with a transit pass, $127 a month in New York, there goes another $30 per week, and you're down to $310. Whereas at $15 per hour, withholding takes it down to $510 per week, and transportation to $480, leaving $80 for child care.

Also, housing shouldn't take more than 25% of your gross income. Where are you going to live for $400 per month?

The minimum wage should have some relevance to the cost of living, which it did when first introduced. Once Reagan got in office, he did not once raise the minimum wage the entire 8 years he was in office. Since 1981, the MW has only been raised 9 times - that less than once every 4 years, while executive compensation has gone up by over 1000%.

McDonalds have said that ever $1 increase in the minimum wage, raises the cost of producing a hamburger by 10 cents. Would you pay 50 cents more for a Big Mac if it meant that all McDonald's employees would be earning a minimum of $15 an hour, and no longer qualified for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits?

 

[Winston]

Let me tell you what the real problem is: if all you can make is $7.50 an hour, you had no business having kids in the first place. But if you irresponsibly did have kids, then you cry to the government to remedy your irresponsible decisions.

So what you are suggesting is that it should be up to private industry to overpay their employees to compensate for their irresponsibility. WTF did that become their responsibility.

A much better route would be for us to deter the procreation of poor and stupid people. After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. When you apply for welfare, you must be fixed first. No more having kids that the public would have to support. Then you would be able to make it on lower wages since you only have yourself to worry about.

And before you say such a plan would be barbaric, what do you think working people do when they can't afford anymore children? They get fixed.

You know, I am not really buying that personal responsibility bullshit from Republicans anymore. Cry to the government to remedy your irresponsible decisions? If you are an American in Afghanistan you had more than a years notice of the withdrawal. The set date was pushed ahead, TWICE. It was not May 31, it became August 31. But your ass is still there, and Republicans now expect the government to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly them out, let alone put the lives of our members in the Armed forces at risk. Like the my body my decision bullshit, you Republicans are a bunch of hypocritical dumbfawks.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

That still doesn't translate to $400 per week. First there's withholding - 15%, takes it down to $340 right off the hop. Then transportation, to and from. Even with a transit pass, $127 a month in New York, there goes another $30 per week, and you're down to $310. Whereas at $15 per hour, withholding takes it down to $510 per week, and transportation to $480, leaving $80 for child care.

Also, housing shouldn't take more than 25% of your gross income. Where are you going to live for $400 per month?

The minimum wage should have some relevance to the cost of living, which it did when first introduced. Once Reagan got in office, he did not once raise the minimum wage the entire 8 years he was in office. Since 1981, the MW has only been raised 9 times - that less than once every 4 years, while executive compensation has gone up by over 1000%.

McDonalds have said that ever $1 increase in the minimum wage, raises the cost of producing a hamburger by 10 cents. Would you pay 50 cents more for a Big Mac if it meant that all McDonald's employees would be earning a minimum of $15 an hour, and no longer qualified for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits?

You leftists are completely ignorant of economics. You cannot raise the rate for one group of people; not even the 3.5% of our labor workforce that make minimum wage without it having a domino effect. When the domino effect takes place, the cost of everything increases because everybody is going to make more money. In a year or so after it makes a complete circle, that minimum wage worker that used to make $7.50 per hour is no better off making $15.00 an hour because everything costs so much more.

The only real results are that we increase inflation and the cost of living. That makes automation, outsourcing and leaving the country to produce much more attractive to industry. In other words, all that could come of doubling the minimum wage is we lose a lot more jobs.

 

[Winston]

That still doesn't translate to $400 per week. First there's withholding - 15%, takes it down to $340 right off the hop. Then transportation, to and from. Even with a transit pass, $127 a month in New York, there goes another $30 per week, and you're down to $310. Whereas at $15 per hour, withholding takes it down to $510 per week, and transportation to $480, leaving $80 for child care.

Also, housing shouldn't take more than 25% of your gross income. Where are you going to live for $400 per month?

The minimum wage should have some relevance to the cost of living, which it did when first introduced. Once Reagan got in office, he did not once raise the minimum wage the entire 8 years he was in office. Since 1981, the MW has only been raised 9 times - that less than once every 4 years, while executive compensation has gone up by over 1000%.

McDonalds have said that ever $1 increase in the minimum wage, raises the cost of producing a hamburger by 10 cents. Would you pay 50 cents more for a Big Mac if it meant that all McDonald's employees would be earning a minimum of $15 an hour, and no longer qualified for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits?

The solution is really very simple. If you are an employer and your employees are receiving any type of government assistance, then you should be taxed for the cost of that assistance.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

You know, I am not really buying that personal responsibility bullshit from Republicans anymore. Cry to the government to remedy your irresponsible decisions? If you are an American in Afghanistan you had more than a years notice of the withdrawal. The set date was pushed ahead, TWICE. It was not May 31, it became August 31. But your ass is still there, and Republicans now expect the government to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly them out, let alone put the lives of our members in the Armed forces at risk. Like the my body my decision bullshit, you Republicans are a bunch of hypocritical dumbfawks.

Is it Republicans fault that our people were stupid enough to put a dementia patient in charge of something like a 20 year war? No, it was stupid voters. If President Trump were in charge, yes, we may have left Afghanistan, but he would have made sure all our people were out first, all our Afghan helpers were out second, all our military equipment out third, and the military last.

 

[task0778]

You leftists are completely ignorant of economics. You cannot raise the rate for one group of people; not even the 3.5% of our labor workforce that make minimum wage without it having a domino effect. When the domino effect takes place, the cost of everything increases because everybody is going to make more money. In a year or so after it makes a complete circle, that minimum wage worker that used to make $7.50 per hour is no better off making $15.00 an hour because everything costs so much more.

The only real results are that we increase inflation and the cost of living. That makes automation, outsourcing and leaving the country to produce much more attractive to industry. In other words, all that could come of doubling the minimum wage is we lose a lot more jobs.

The only real results are that we increase inflation and the cost of living. That makes automation, outsourcing and leaving the country to produce much more attractive to industry.

Not to mention going out of business. So many small businesses are already dealing with a narrow profit margin, when you raise the cost of labor significantly then you make it very hard to stay open unless you can raise your prices that much. Some can and do, while can't and they close up shop.

 

[task0778]

The solution is really very simple. If you are an employer and your employees are receiving any type of government assistance, then you should be taxed for the cost of that assistance.

So American businesses have to pay for whatever assistance the gov't decides to provide? That is beyond ridiculous.

 

[Winston]

You leftists are completely ignorant of economics. You cannot raise the rate for one group of people; not even the 3.5% of our labor workforce that make minimum wage without it having a domino effect. When the domino effect takes place, the cost of everything increases because everybody is going to make more money. In a year or so after it makes a complete circle, that minimum wage worker that used to make $7.50 per hour is no better off making $15.00 an hour because everything costs so much more.

The only real results are that we increase inflation and the cost of living. That makes automation, outsourcing and leaving the country to produce much more attractive to industry. In other words, all that could come of doubling the minimum wage is we lose a lot more jobs.

You are incorrect. The primary requirement for a "fair" transaction is called equal consideration. It is even a legal concept. But if the decision is work or starve, which is what you Republicans want, contrasted with just hire someone else, there is nothing close to "equal consideration". The minimum wage has became just that, the minimum a company has to offer an employee. It bears no resemblance to productivity or value.

The free market works like this, you pay employees the least amount possible and you charge the highest price you can get. The idea that increases in the minimum wage will translate into higher prices depends upon a functioning "free market" with equal consideration. I am here to tell you that does not exist. Some companies will increase their pay, and they will absorb that cost, because they will want to be competitive. Chick Fila could absolutely dominate the market if they would increase their starting pay to $15 an hour. In some markets, they have already done as much. Walmart is in the same position, they have increased starting pay for warehouse workers to $20 an hour. And your trucking post demonstrates precisely that concept. Target is in the same position. Warehouse workers, like my son, now make more than $20 an hour.

 

[westwall]

The solution is really very simple. If you are an employer and your employees are receiving any type of government assistance, then you should be taxed for the cost of that assistance.

And then the business go's out of business and the government loses whatever taxes the company was paying.

You're not too bright are ya....

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

The only real results are that we increase inflation and the cost of living. That makes automation, outsourcing and leaving the country to produce much more attractive to industry.

Not to mention going out of business. So many small businesses are already dealing with a narrow profit margin, when you raise the cost of labor significantly then you make it very hard to stay open unless you can raise your prices that much. Some can and do, while can't and they close up shop.

Exactly. Doubling minimum wage might make your Big Mac cost 10 cents more, but a McDonald's restaurant sells 800 hamburgers a day, 700 french fries a day, 1,000 soft drinks and coffee a day. The loss is so widely spread not many would take notice.

But Bob at Bob's hardware store doesn't sell 600 hammers a day, 200 pounds of nails or screws a day, or 300 saws a day. Plus Bob already has problems with online companies and huge companies like Home Deptot and Menard's to try and deal with. Bob won't be in business very long.

 

[Dragonlady]

"But

The solution is really very simple. If you are an employer and your employees are receiving any type of government assistance, then you should be taxed for the cost of that assistance.

I strongly disagree with this solution. It just adds another layer of administration and expense to programs that already cost too much money in the first place.

The simple solution is to require all businesses to pay a reasonable minimum wage. Wages are a tax deductible expense so every dollar the corporation gives it's employees only costs them 78 cents because the other 22% would be going to the federal government in taxes. But this eliminates the federal government receiving and processing millions of food stamp applications, since such assistance would no longer be necessary for the 70% of recipients who currently work full time.

Food stamp usage and benefits paid would be reduced by 70% overnight, since 70% of recipients are working full time. With only 12 million recipients versus the current 40 million, you could lay off 70% of the people working in Washington to administer this program, for further tax savings.

The problem with having the government supplement wages is that it often costs $2 to put $1 into the hands of the working poor. Whereas, if employers raise wages, all of the administration costs of the big government programs and the size of government is reduced. Taxes lower, the size of government smaller, more money in the hands of working Americans at a lower cost to the American consumer, sounds like a big win for everyone except the shareholders.

This is rewarding work over wealth.

 

[22lcidw]

But in order to make $400 a week at McD's, you'd have to work for 62 hours per week @ $7.50 per hour, to take home that amount, and you'd have child care and transportation expenses to pay off the top. And therein lies the problem. You really can't afford to work for $7.50 per hour, and the economy cannot afford to continue to subsidize McDonald's wages with Food Stamps and Section 8 vouchers, as well as Medicaid.

It is better and cheaper for the economy for McDonalds to pay front line workers first, and corporate last, instead of the other way around.

It is time for corporations such as McDonalds, to pay their employees $400 net of withholding per week for a 40 hour work week, with the Obama overtime rules reinstated. Plus health insurance for all employees. If that means that corporate is not longer one of the most profitable companies in America, than so be it, but corporate and its shareholders are making record profits off the fiscally predatory practices in milking franchisees of every dollar they possibly can. When McDonald's was selling stores for $250,000 per, it was impossible to lose money buying a McDonald's franchise. Now it's impossible to make money with one.

Even before covid, McDonald's Playland Restaurants were getting written up for dirty diapers and dead rodents in the ball pits. Store owners are cutting back on cleaning and pest control expenses, since virtually all of their business needs - furniture, fixtures, napkins, food, are all provided by corporate at whatever price they set for them. The buildings are old, and dirty, and the franchisees have no money to improve them, because it all goes to corporate.

That would really hurt the fast food industry. zmainly because the food really does not look like the commercials many times and as the prices rise, more customers would be demanding it and actually slowing down the rate food is sold. Tough problem.

 

[Winston]

And then the business go's out of business and the government loses whatever taxes the company was paying.

You're not too bright are ya....

If a business can't pay their employees enough to keep them off government assistance, then good riddance.