Chicago introduces living-wage

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I have no problem with this. I've always believed local cities/towns/villages are in the best position to decide what the appropriate minimum wages for their economies are. A national minimum wage increase must, by definition, be low enough for the entire nation... and will therefore not work in places like Manhattan and Chicago.

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

I never understood why people defend the operating practices of big business when they conflict with giving a fair deal to employees, or why it is that we should view the arguments of big business as anything other than predominantly self-serving, centered entirely on profit margins, while throwing ethics out the window.

How is it a major corporation (like Walmart) can justify giving its top executives massive bonuses while not providing health insurance for the rank and file?

i rarely shop at wal-mart. i go to an even more restrictive place - a real home for low wages for the employees. it's called "aafes"

[KarenCee 3]

"aafes"...am I missing something here?

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

"aafes"...am I missing something here?

army and air force exchange service - where the customer is always last

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Excuse me, but when did $10.00/hour become a living wage in Chicago? It may have been a living wage there ten years ago. But then, maybe that's how long it took to get this bad boy passed...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I have no problem with this. I've always believed local cities/towns/villages are in the best position to decide what the appropriate minimum wages for their economies are. A national minimum wage increase must, by definition, be low enough for the entire nation... and will therefore not work in places like Manhattan and Chicago.

That's a good point. Los Angeles set it's minimum at $10 per hour for city employees.

[choji 0]

All those who holler "but Wal-Mart is cheaper" should be aware of the fact that the seemingly lower prices are achieved to a large extend by not paying most of the employees living wages (not to mention health care etc.) and by squeezing the suppliers until they holler.

Has any of you ever been in touch with Wal-Mart from the supplier's side?

Has any of you ever wondered why only goods from countries with extremely cheap labour costs are to be found on the Wal-Mart shelves? There are reasons for that, and they are not good ones.

Leaving the supplier side aside, those people at Wal-Mart who work for less than living wages, when they are sick, where do they go? To the ER. Guess who pays for them? You, the taxpayer, who then shouts "but Wal-Mart is the cheapest". Those people at Wal-Mart who work for less than living wages, they are forced to apply for food stamps, eben though they work full-time. Who pays for them? You, the taxpayer. From the money you saved by shopping at Wal-Mart, because they are "the cheapest".

Yes, they are cheap. Because you, the taxpayer, are shelling out for their employees.

Boycotting Wal-Mart would be a relief for the US on the long run. You would save money.

[Garfield fan 0]

Leaving the supplier side aside, those people at Wal-Mart who work for less than living wages, when they are sick, where do they go? To the ER. Guess who pays for them? You, the taxpayer, who then shouts "but Wal-Mart is the cheapest". Those people at Wal-Mart who work for less than living wages, they are forced to apply for food stamps, eben though they work full-time. Who pays for them? You, the taxpayer.

Exactly. Businesses come into existence to create more jobs, which in turn should decrease unemployment rate and the number of people going to welfare. If their employees still have to go to welfare because they don't get paid enough and they don't have benefits, then why let this type of businesses be around ??

[dalegg 143]

Excuse me, but when did $10.00/hour become a living wage in Chicago? It may have been a living wage there ten years ago. But then, maybe that's how long it took to get this bad boy passed...

This is what I was thinking too! If this happened in California, I wouldn't expect to suddenly see a bunch of Walmart Employees buying new cars. You'd still be working 3 jobs.

All those who holler "but Wal-Mart is cheaper" should be aware of the fact that the seemingly lower prices are achieved to a large extend by not paying most of the employees living wages (not to mention health care etc.) and by squeezing the suppliers until they holler.

Has any of you ever been in touch with Wal-Mart from the supplier's side?

Has any of you ever wondered why only goods from countries with extremely cheap labour costs are to be found on the Wal-Mart shelves? There are reasons for that, and they are not good ones.

Leaving the supplier side aside, those people at Wal-Mart who work for less than living wages, when they are sick, where do they go? To the ER. Guess who pays for them? You, the taxpayer, who then shouts "but Wal-Mart is the cheapest". Those people at Wal-Mart who work for less than living wages, they are forced to apply for food stamps, eben though they work full-time. Who pays for them? You, the taxpayer. From the money you saved by shopping at Wal-Mart, because they are "the cheapest".

Yes, they are cheap. Because you, the taxpayer, are shelling out for their employees.

Boycotting Wal-Mart would be a relief for the US on the long run. You would save money.

I like this mentality. Tell you what. I'd support a minimum wage hike to $12 an hour if it meant we were now relying on every person to provide for their own retirement. In other words, the end of social security taxes.

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

this just in - and related to some of this

Wal-Mart quits Germany

story

[choji 0]

this just in - and related to some of this

Wal-Mart quits Germany

story

It was quite clear after about 3 years that Wal-Mart would not make it in the German market. How they ever came up with the idea that they would make it there at all it quite beyond my comprehension anyway. Ever heard about market research before tackling a certain market?

So, why did they hang on for 8 years in total? Loss of face is something Wal-Mart fears more than the devil fears the holy water or the vampire the stake. In the end however, they just saw that there was no turn-around possible.

End of the Wal-Mart saga in Germany. Good riddance. I just hope those people in management learned a lesson. And you know what? I doubt that they did.

[Lewis 0]

Walmart is just one example of what has gone wrong with the employee-employer relationship in the present time. A major problem I see with this new proposal is how a "big box store" will be legally defined and how and why other companies with the same amount of employees or more are not subject to the new proposal.

Saying that, Walmart disgusts me and I never shop there and discourage others from doing so. I also believe that the free market is essentially an ideal, it can never really exist. IMO, our market system requires some forms of controls in order to manage utilities, food supplies etc... but the government should be discouraged from dictating how businesses compensate their employees.

Why are the fast food places and retailers exempt?