this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2025
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Study: California's $20 fast-food minimum wage improves pay at small cost to consumers (www.axios.com)
submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 83 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

So if it added ".06 to the cost of a four dollar hamburger" to pay people a living wage, why are we not doing this everywhere?

Is it millionaire greed? I bet it's millionaire greed.

Brad Close, CEO of NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses). NFIB speeds more money lobbying to keep people poor (124 million) than than take in each year (113 million).

Brad makes over $480/hr (or 1 million dollars a year) to lead a company that tells the government you shouldn't make more than $7.25/hr. He must be 66x smarter and more productive than those making minimum wage.

That's just one example, look up Serv-Safe and the National Restaurant Association. It's not an accident these workers are poor, it's on purpose.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 days ago

Is it millionaire greed? I bet it’s millionaire greed.

Close, but it's billionaire greed. Those fractions add up to a second summer home/yacht at the end of the quarter. You think they're gonna just give that away so peasants can (barely) earn a living??

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

When Obamacare was being debated the CEO of Papa Johns opined that pizzas would cost an extra $.14 if he had to provide healthcare to all his employees.

According to "Papa" John Schnatter, the cost of providing health insurance for all of his pizza chain's uninsured, full-time employees comes out to about 14 cents on a large pizza.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/papa-johns-john-schnatter-obamacare-pizza-prices/story?id=16962891

Have not eaten their since 2012.

We're up against voters who think that's a reasonable take.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

"It would increase the price of the pizza by fourteen cents" is a reasonable take.

"I am not willing to do that" is not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Thank you for reminding me of the exact reason they are on my shitlist.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago

Is it millionaire greed? I bet it’s millionaire greed.

For the same reason I will shit on billionaires any time they get a headline for a charitable donation. The rich are fucking vampires.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

I'm fine with min wage so long as it is handled by hard research and science and not politicians or lobbyists. Although even scientists can be corrupted but at least it is backed by verifiable facts.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I'm not! Scrap minimum wage! Enact a livable UBI (also established by hard research and science and not politicians or lobbyists) and let the Free Market decide what a job is worth!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Yup, UBI should be at an amount that prevents people from dying or robbing others, but they would still want to work to improve their lives.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That is the pipiest of pipe dreams, at least in the US.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh, I have pipier!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Peter piper?

Wait, that’s a different nursery rhyme.

Edit: I’m thinking of the Pied Piper

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I think you should be more grateful for minimum wage than you realize, because if capitalism had it way we might end up with a hourly wage of $0,02 or even less maybe. The problem isn't the existence of a minimum wage it's the amount that's connected to it. Don't believe me? Look at the amount prisoners or illegal immigrants make an hour.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You missed the UBI part of his statement I think. You don't need a minimum wage if people can survive without working.

If I could sit on my ass, or work for $0.02, I'm going to sit on my ass.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I didn't overlook it, just not part of the point I'm trying to make. If there would be a basic income and on top of that there is a 2ct hourly wage, everybody will be sitting on their ass. When people are financially 'rewarded' for their work they're more likely to give a damn, even if you'd have thousands of dollars basic income. In other words, having a legally set minimum wage is a good thing also with UBI.

Edit: my statement about underpayed prisoners prove this fact, except their basic income is basically 'spent' on food and housing (it's a bit of a stretch, but better rewards (/higher wages) increase motivation in this case as well). Also let me stress this before it becomes part of the argument, I totally agree on the it needing to be backed by science.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

everybody will be sitting on their ass.

Exactly. Then what would happen to the companies?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Exactly, that's when the free market dictates what a job really is worth

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, having a system where "I'd pay you less if I legally could, but you have to work or die" is something I should be grateful for is incredibly fucked up.

Yes, capitalism wants to pay 2 cents or less for your labour. But it can only do this with the threat of starvation and villified, illegal homelessness.

When you remove that threat, capitalism loses its power over the population.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I'm not saying the system is what you should be more grateful of, but minimum wages were fought for by people who didn't earn enough to pay for their basic needs. They acts as flood gates against greedy employers. Doesn't mean the rest of the system is worth appreciating.

The need for lowering the price of goods doesn't change when there would be a basic income, but you are right people are more willing to accept a low wage of they are threatened by starvation and homelessness, a basic income will definitely be a good thing for people who currently are earning a low wage.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Unlikely, no entity/business/people will ask for $0.02 hourly for their service. In a capitalist society, business/people/entity will ask for correct hourly price/fees/salary/income for their services that is profitable.

illegal workers are breaking the law, so they have no choice, no bargaining power. They can ask for higher hourly price for work done, too, or just don't be illegal or find another job in their home country.

Maybe don't compare to prison/illegals/rapist/pedos since there are many countries with no min wage, like successful Singapore.

I started working from min wage up. I don't work illegally in other countries, and I find another job if pay is too low to make ends meet. The moment I start any job, I also start looking and preparing for my next job. I am never loyal to my employer because they will never be loyal to me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There might be places where it worked, but the fact there is a difference between 'normal' and 'tipped' minimum wage in the US says a lot about the powers working against the individual. I heard the minimum hasn't changed in decades in the US and the tipped minimum wage is about $2.50 or something. But to be honest I don't expect someone that says "... just don't be illegal or find another job in your home country" to know what it's like to struggle making end meet and then have these powers working against you.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Is that why US companies pay so low (in comparison to their Cost of Living) because there is min wage to follow rather than free market. While other countries (with no min wage) salaries are "higher" in comparison to their Cost of Living, food, clothes and etc.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think the better educated/skilled someone is the more the free market will benefit the employee, because if someone is easily replaceable the focus is more on how cheap someone can do something rather than how good someone can do it. Companies are under pressure to deliver their service/product for a low price, wages are a big part of their operation cost .

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

Yes, you are right it is tough being easily replaceable by... robots . It is getting cheaper to just use self-order and self-checkout, self-service pump, vending machines these days.

Maybe the government should provide retraining for citizens to work in more skilled jobs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Agreed. That's my motto for everything in life.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Because they sell a massive amounts of hamburgers and that cost savings is valued higher than some wear part humanoid asset to the AI generated spreadsheet some C suite Connie approved automatically with their risk assessment digital personal assistant.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago

Cool now lets do it everywhere and tie it to inflation.

Means testing is a fucking trap to block real solutions to problems.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

$20 minimum wage impact per burger is minimal, like under 50 cents. What's the excuse for COVID prices still being in effect? Supply chain problems my ass.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It should stipulate it has to come out of salaries of any above a certain threshold from the lowest paid full-time employee. No more run-away pay. If you want to get rich you gotta make sure the lowest down can at least afford to live.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (4 children)

like CEO pay must not be more than 10 times the amount they pay their lowest paid worker?
that sounds fair

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Used to be 40x, I could live with that. At $20 min. wage, that's about $1.65M. Fair enough for a monster corporation's CEO. Would you hire some asshole who says he'll run McDonald's Corporation for 10x at $416K? I'd be sus.

And here we have the facts of the matter:

The CEO and now chairman of McDonald's was paid $19.2 million last year in salary, bonuses and stock, according to federal securities filings.

That breaks down to an hourly wage of $9230.77, not including holidays, PTO, etc. 462x the lowest paid employee in California. 40x doesn't sound so bad now, does it?

But still, CEO pay ain't the problem, it's a symptom of runaway capitalism. Ran the numbers a couple of years back on American Airlines. If their CEO took zero compensation they could award every employee a $236 yearly check. I'd be fucking insulted if that was my Christmas bonus.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Also if they try to pull a "These aren't employees they are independent contractors that just happen to work in my store and wear my uniform and..." we hang them as an example to the rest.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Even better would be if a CEO can only earn more than their lowest payed workers if everyone they employ earns at least a livable wage.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

That's how Pirate's codes were written, a deck swabber gets one share of the loot, a cook gets two, officers get three, and the captain gets five.

And if the crew isn't happy with the captain they could vote him out and elect a new one.

Yarr

[–] [email protected] 31 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It shouldn't have cost consumers anything.

The mark up on fast food is ridiculous and the only reason that the companies, and more specifically the franchises, haven't just absorbed the increase in labour cost is pure greed.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 days ago

Revenue Per Employee doesn't actually have to be 1000x their wages.

Revolutionary study. Next you'll tell me the sky is blue

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

They'll still further increase prices citing this as the reason to maximize profits further, knowing consumers don't actually shop around much.

All these fast food places seem to have forgotten the place they sit in the economy. They're now the cost of a regular restaurant in many places, and often take just as long now. They just happen to have a drive thru window, and even that's not a guarantee for many of them anymore.

Why should I pay McDonald's $15 for a burger meal when I can get the same thing at the same price from a better quality fast food place, or an actual restaurant burger for the same price?

The only reason people are still going there is because they haven't looked around to realize that other businesses haven't inflated their new prices under the guise of inflation the same way, and those other options are now a much better deal.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

Stupidly enough, I believe that paying employees more actually results in higher profits for the company long-term!

If an employee isn’t stressing about making ends meet, and rather can focus on taking pride in their work because they feel respected, then it would show in the presentation of the food, and upkeep of the restaurant.

Cleaner, friendlier restaurants where the food looks (somewhat) like what’s advertised will see an increase in traffic and therefore revenue.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

We should keep pushing for higher min wages until it is cheaper to use automation, self checkout and etc. It is sad to see workers struggling at restaurants, preparing burgers and cleaning tables. no one should be doing such menial work.

Other than tech, low min wage is one of the things holding us back from full automation. High min wage will accelerate automation hopefully.