Once back from vacation, I had tried to get together with one friend for months. to no avail. I had no idea my friend, who was laid off was working three jobs to make ends meet, till she can find a job back in her field. It's basically work and sleep for her she said. The pandemic is changing people's attitude towards work. This cartoon snippet nails it. I don't believe that "workers got unemployment so now there lazy," Maybe some, but not all. I think most want to work, and if you were getting paid less than the $300 unemployment per week that ended, and it was more then you used to make working full time...someone wasn't paying you enough to start with. My impression is that for wages as low as our $7.25 per hour minimum wage, some have decided in a pandemic that it's not worth the health risk to go in for that little bit of money, or don't want to work in a environment where tons of people act like asses. The right winged NY Times claimed the unemployment was bad under Biden, while Biden claims that employment was up from last year. I don't know the truth, but up from last year isn't exactly the best measure since it seemed every other person and their mother was without jobs. I remember years ago they stopped counting the people who had dropped out of the work force because they'd stopped looking for a job with no success. I love this cartoons simple premise: people will want to work if you pay them enough to meet living expenses, without having to work 2 and 3 jobs...and gasp, maybe even an occasional vacation.
The minimum wage is still just $7.25. CNBC reported that in 2019 that "full time" minimum wage workers can not even afford a 2 bedroom rental anywhere in the US. The dimwit George W Bush was the last president to raise it. Democrats keep campaigning on raising it to $15 an hour, but ultimately passed on it once they'd won, despite the efforts from the progressives. We Dems tried to blame everyone from the failure from Machin to Sinema to the parliamentarian, a non-elected position held by a Republican, who Kamala Harris could've overruled, and Chuck Schumer could've fired. Obama didn't raise it during his 8 years, and nor did the great evil ass in his 4 years. I am starting to believe that there is no party of the working class in this country. Like Kamala Harris said during her campaign, something is wrong when people have to work 2 and 3 jobs, and still can't make ends meet, and never have time to enjoy time with their family and life. Yet we wonder why almost 40% of the country doesn't vote at all??? A feeling that neither party works or changes much, is common among non voters. One solution? Do something for them instead of your wealthy donors.
And don't get me started on the heath care and insurance companies either.
I do believe the jokes on us, America.
I find both parties appalling in the US. My brother left the states years ago also, and moved to Alberta, where the minimum wage changed to $15 an hour. Just like gay marriage, everyone said it would cause massive disruption. But guess what? Nothing happened except people got happier. Go figure. The US to me seems to be all about oppressing people anymore except those who are top tier wealthy.
ReplyDeleteRANT Maddie, Rant!
And BTW Welcome back!
DeleteThe country of big corp and greed. The most ridiculous part of this is that in most cities $15 still isn't enough. If wages rose with inflation over the years, like it should, the minimum wage would be between $25-30 and hour. This is soon to be the land of Poverty and Ultra wealthy...with no in between.
ReplyDeleteWe have dug a hole so deep on some many issues, how does this country ever come back???
DeleteYup. That is correct on both account and so effed up.
ReplyDeleteThe rich get richer and the minimum wage stays the same.
ReplyDeleteMinimum wages in other countries around the world has not affected the prices of our beloved Big Macs so get over that argument. Pay people what they desrve, and it's far greater than $7.25!
Your right. I have another friend working a job to make ends meet for $9.00. He said they get the work from him they pay for. He will not go above and beyond. I don't blame him.
DeleteBoth parties are a sad excuse. I get more depressed by the day. It like the party of evil, and the party of complete wimps. The next election, I can honesty say I don't know I will vote. What the fucking point? We need to pay people the right amount. If you hire someone for $7.25 don't bitch at what you get. You get what you pay for.
ReplyDeleteVIVA MISTRESS BORGHESE!
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder that tipping is such a big deal in the US. But what about those poor people who work in non-customer facing minimum wage jobs - how do they boost their income?
ReplyDelete(I thought our - the UK's - minimum wage was bad at £8.91, but that works out as $12.27 today)
That is exactly why some of my friends are working 2 and 3 jobs (because they have non customer facing jobs) just to pay mortgage or rent, monthly bills, and basic food. Little pleasantries aren't even in their mind at this point, and we wonder why we are all burnt out in this country.
DeleteFirst,...I'm so glad I'm no longer in the work force. Second,...there no thing as having a life long career. Third,... be flexible and find yourself a rich Daddy before you lose your 'cute'!
ReplyDeleteOh Jimmy, you are so bad, but not a bad idea!!!!!! I have been very lucky thus far to keep to my same field or variations of it.
DeleteI would go the self employed route. Collaborate and network. Plus, know your market and that niche that needs to be filled. FWIW....
DeleteAnd your suggestion is the way I have been slowly learning to navigate Jimmy with my free lance. And I thank goodness I have my good friend and sister to fall back on with the work at the floral shop.
DeleteI couldn't agree with Jimmy more above. I'm so glad to not have to deal with all the, excuse me, bullshit that these companies and everywhere in general anymore. Rather appalling how many places pay their workers very little, while the grand pubbas get huge pay increases. Why would anyone settle for that pay? I wouldn't it
ReplyDeleteIt's us people who need to fuck both parties. They are both useless as tits on a bull.
ReplyDeleteWe got to listen to logic and people saying "labor shortage" my ass. These companies are getting upset they can't find people to exploit. That's good. Pay a decent living wage and then Ill work. In the meantime they can fuck off.
The $15 an hour will never happen. The RePubs are too greedy and want to hold people back, and the Dems are to cowardly and scared to push it. They back down to easy. What needs to be done is a labor strike and walk out until fair pay is initiated and on par with inflation.
ReplyDeleteWe're getting this all the time at the moment. "Staff shortages"? Meaning that companies have relied upon vast numbers of impoverished (mainly) East European migrants to do all the menial jobs for the absolute minimum permitted to be paid by law; now, since Brexit, they're all buggering off and no-one born here actually wants to do the shit work for crap pay.
ReplyDeleteHey, companies! PAY MORE.
Jx
I agree Jon. I don't think people will mind to do "crap" work if they are paid a decent wage and can live on it. Let's be honest, some jobs are crappy or dirty and should pay higher for what some have to do. Nice to know this is not just an issue here.
DeleteWe live in such strange times, where people on unemployment benefit won't even consider jobs that they obviously could do, because they pay more-or-less what they get without working at all. Rent is stupidly high, and wages are stupidly low. Something's got to give! Jx
DeleteBest of luck to all of us!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo :-)
That cartoon hits the nail on the head!
ReplyDeleteKeep reading the 'both parties' bullshit. Honey, no. It's not a good look. I do agree that the Repugs are greedy bastards and the Dems need to grow a pair.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is absolute gold: "and if you were getting paid less than the $300 unemployment per week that ended, and it was more then you used to make working full time...someone wasn't paying you enough to start with."
The problem? America is a a vacuous, capitalist country. It's made for the rich to stay rich and we'll soon be left without a middle class.
I love it when you tell it like it is.
XOXO
I have long learned that polictians from either party never keep their campaign promises. While not a huge Biden fan, I will say he has made improvements, especially with COVID. I shall await and see what else he does.
ReplyDeleteFuck the Republicans and Fuck the Democrats. No one has the balls to fix this. Minimum wage has barely moved in 20 years or more. Making more on unemployment means one thing...WAGES ARE LOW HENNY. We must watch and not take low wages. If places can't find help and shutter...maybe that has to happen. Power to the working people.
ReplyDeletePreach it Boy! In my opinion if you don't pay your workers enough to support themselves, then why should they give you top performances in there job? I know I wouldn't I will give you what you pay for. They are poverty exploiters and they deserve to go under. Now that restrictions have been lifted, many are in need of those workers they threw out like dogs, but many are now finding jobs that are way better. The pandemic if one thing, opened the eyes of many.
ReplyDeleteOver the past two years, I would have made the same if not more if I was on the unemployment benefits. Im in a management role too. How sad is that?
ReplyDeletei love a well informed queen.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought you just enjoyed a well hung queen.
DeleteWe're no better. The UK minimum wage of £8.91 per hour is not good (apprentices get £4.50 per hour and apprenticeships are for really useful jobs like personal trainers and hairdresser, not electricians and plumbers). Low wage earners like cleaners and shop assistants face a 2 hour journey to work into London as they can't afford to live anywhere near work. And now the poor are being told to pay more National Insurance to refund the NHS because Bozo won't make the rich pay taxes (sound like a Repugnant near you?). I could rant on and on but nothing will change - the rich will still grind down the faces of the poor - the poor like it doncha know?
ReplyDeleteSounds much the same your right. I too have a friend that commutes into NYC to work...he left the city for reason you note....makes 11 or 12 an hour. But then some of that salary goes right into the commuting cost. I told him...the next job make sure to ask for a higher salary to build in that expense. The whole issue is just rather depressing.
DeleteSince congress refuses to raise the minimum wage, many states, mostly blue states, have enacted their own minimum wage which is higher. By 2025 the Illinois minimum wage will be $15, it’s currently $10. There are so many costs of living that continue to skyrocket: rent, utilities, gas, insurance. And not all employers offer healthcare. Even living on $15/hour is rough.
ReplyDeleteThis country needs to wake up. So much needs to be fixed and soon.
Perhaps states should enact their own wage increases. Because it doesn't look like either party is going anything to help the issues. In the past I worked with many who didn't even take the healthcare because they needed every penny. The one lady I worked with said why bother....our insurance doesn't cover anything it seems or I'm still having to pay more money anyhow. Which is yet another whole issue with this country. My insurance at my last job was so so. Great preventive...after that meh. It's why I also had a HSA. But I feel one shouldn't have to do that if insurance companies did what they suppose to.
DeleteJust one more battle we're fighting. But, the nice thing is: The employees are winning this one when it comes to wages. For a looooong time it was an employERs market...the tails have turned as I suspected they would.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. One thing about the pandemic as Mahogany Empress pointed out, has opened many eyes. It's not many don't want to work, but since being on unemployment have seen just how under paid they were. But the minimum needs to be increased, or people will just burn out their existing staffs.
DeleteI make $11.25 an hour collecting unemployment, and that was before I also got the extra $300 per week that just ended. I want to work, but there is zero incentive to settle for even a $15 an hour job when I was paid nearly double that at my last job. I sure my problems is ageism. It must be real. I have yet to get a response to my resume in all of the jobs I've applied to.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. That is why I have been doing more free lance whiling working at my friends floral shop as an assistant. It would be hard for me to find a job paying what I too was making. But now I have two more irons in the works.....we shall see how it goes.....
DeleteSince your not getting responses, I fear you could be right about ageism. Might be time for a new start doing something else, thought I don't know how being older in your field would affect job performance. Their lost dear.
I agree wholeheartedly with you and everyone commenting.
ReplyDeleteWow this one hit a nerve. I liked reading the comments.
ReplyDeleteI tell patients who complain the medical system as broken it is not broken when you see it for what it is: a business. In the US medicine is a business whose goals are profits and for their shareholders; it is not about providing health care. We are not willing to give up the model for a new one (although everyone else has gone to the model of service).