San Francisco: First American city with $10 minimum wage

[wolfie]

If you had a decent union your wages would have gone up pro-rata everytime the minimum wage went up so keeping the differential intact.

[almitysufx]

I am in the UAW.

[wolfie]

Ask them the question. Why do your wages not go up pro-rata with the minimum wage?

[Brazoo]

Minimum Wage - Video

[Spawn67]

It's a rough economy right now (no big surprises). My 17 year old is having a hard time getting work at McDonald's or even bagging groceries at the local supermarket for minimum wage because there are out of work adults competing with him for the job.

Minimum wage for someone like my son who doesn't have any expenses other than wants; it is great but for an adult trying to make ends meat....horrible.

I was having a conversation with a co worker about this other day. His son is in the same boat. I always looked at this recession as a way to get honest workers however my boss sees it MUCH differently.
I always look at the economy based on location. Yes its hard everywhere but some places are better than others.
I lived in a college town 2 hours north of here where the going rate for even good jobs was 7.50. I moved 2 hours south (to a city) and my pay shot up several dollars more (lets just say it was alot more!) just for a entry level job.
Gosh I remember my first job I got 3.25 (when minimum wadge was that) a hour. I remember my next job was 5.00 an hour thinking it was a fortune..ah to be young again..lol.

[torgospizza]

In the UK the minimum wage is just used as a green light to employers to pay people as little as possible. Why employ someone at £10 per hour when you can employ someone at £6 per hour and comply with the law.

I think Chris Rock said it best when he said minimum wage was like the boss saying, "Hey, if I could pay you less, I would." At my job, new people are hired for less than Taco Bell wages, so we basically can't even get people to apply. I keep hearing about the unemployment rate being high, but our HR guy is pulling out what's left of his hair, because our only applicants are felons. Apparently, being jobless is better than working for my company.