Nothing's changed about capitalism. Ford realized he needed to pay more to draw and retain a quality work force. That fundamental principal hasn't changed. Raise your wages until it works. Originally Posted by I B Hankering
That's a pretty simplistic viewpoint. Of course you can raise your wages to twice what the market is paying and I'm sure you will have plenty of employees for a short time. That is until you close your doors. To be competitive in the construction industry you must keep your labor cost down. Labor is the largest cost for most contractors so paying above market is not feasible if you want to stay competitive. I've had a lot of people work for me over the years and many never understood how this relationship works. I paid based on what you can do for me to make money. At some point you will be maxed out at your hourly wage for the job you are doing. If you can't or won't do more for the company then you are stuck are your current wage until the market dictates increases. I didn't choose your career path,you did. If you want to make 150 grand a year then you shouldn't have chosen manual labor as your career. This is not a criticism but a reality check. I started out at 16 as a laborer making $1.65 PH. I never went to a job where I didn't want the guys job that was above me. I worked my ass off my entire life and have been fairly successful but not because of mandated wages. A good work ethic along with some common sense can get you a long way regardless of your chosen career. To many people believe they are due a high paying job. That's bullshit. Employees are there for one reason and that is what can you do for the company to be successful. I don't hire people because I need friends.
It would be nice if the free market paid $15 per hour plus benefits for those jobs, to legal American workers, obviously of any race. Originally Posted by friendly fred
Regardless of what the market or government decides the minimum wage should be there will always be poor people. You can't legislate wealth. Minimum wage is typically an entry level position for the young. However, some never make it past that entry level mentality and are destined to a life of poverty thru no ones fault but their own.