Posted on 02/27/2021 7:28:55 AM PST by MosesKnows
Minimum wage laws appear to me to be unconstitutional because I do not find the legislative power in the constitution for Congress to legislation wages.
Setting that concern aside something about minimum wage laws puzzles me.
Some workers increased their value to the job market to earn more than the min wage. An example of what puzzles me is a person who worked hard and increased their job skills is now earning $15/hour. This person has several people working for him who is doing the job he used to do when he was paid min wage. He likely is working for someone with more value earning $18/hour.
A $15 min wage means his subordinates will now earn what he is earning without increasing their job skills.
That scenario reminds me of the people who go through the effort to enter America legally and those who enter illegally.
The problem is not minimum wage - the problem that we have many Americans who are unemployable at ANY wage, even zero.
Federal labor laws in general as applied among the several States are not legal. Situationally among the Territories or the District of Columbia they would be because the Constitution permits the Congress more general legislative power in those. Otherwise, there being no enumerated power, the 10th Amendment should be the controlling Law.
It will - which is a good thing. Globalism has killed the lower end of the workforce's wages and as a result wages have stagnated, adjusted for inflation, for 30+ years. We, as a nation. desperately NEED wage inflation.
If it takes this to do so be it.
Flame away.
They are unconstitutional because government does not have the right to set a minimum or maximum hourly rate of pay. Any law that “allows” it is invalid and not binding.
Other invalid laws: Affirmative action, draft registry for men only, requirement that men who pretend to be women can play on a woman’s team. Asset “forfeiture.” Minority setasides. Race quotas. College admission based on race.
Agree, STATES should set the Minimum wage for there state.
Or, instead of the trickle-up effect, more and more things become automated or go to AI?
Wouldn’t take long for some computer nerds out there to develop an algorithm to make a decision on your credit mortgage application. Think about it. You can buy a car on-line, from start to finish. No human interaction needed. No haggling with a salesman/woman. No going to see the finance manager for your loan terms and signing a contract.
$15 hurts the people, the most, that it’s supposedly trying to help.
Thought about another way....Wages go up, prices go up. What was once a $100,000 house, now becomes a $150,000 house in a day. No one is getting ahead.
And like what is done when hedge funds show up and take over companies. They automate or whittle the workforce down to bare bones. And the mantra from management is....you don’t want to do the work, we’ll find someone that will.
And let’s not forget about the eager workers flooding the border as we type.
“My question is what stops the min wage from causing a trickle-up effect throughout the entire spectrum of incomes?”
Nothing stops it and it will certainly happen as it has happened before. In addition to many, many layoffs which the increase in the min. wage will cause there will be a whole lot of unhappy workers who after working hard to elevate their wages see untrained and unproven new hires earning exactly what they are. These employees will want more in wages and if they don’t get it they will begin looking for another job.
If the employer wants to keep the worker he will either pay him more and if cannot afford that he will simply lay off another worker so he can afford it.
In the end wages are always determined by the market and are a function of supply and demand.
By what common law or constitutional law is there a right to wage increases? If someone will work at an offered wage so be it. The minimum wage is politicians buying votes with other peoples money. Low level wage stagnation after inflation is not evil. We need entry level jobs and there’s a new crop of workers entering the work force every year. There’s no reason why it should change.
The correct minimum wage is zero.
The minimum wage should never be designed to drive earning power among adults working full-time jobs. Its only legitimate purpose was to prevent exploitation of teenagers in the work force.
Congress quit following the 18 enumerated powers decades ago. Now, look where we are.
Just remember a starting ICU nurse barely gets $15 an hour
The American people are too stupid to understand the economic fallacies and unintended consequences of gov't setting and hiking a wage decree.
Ask supporters of the minimum-wage why aren't they lobbying their state senators or legislators to increase THEIR state minimum-wage. I don't care if CA or NY or IL raise their minimum-wage to $1,000 bucks an hour.
Not going to flame you. My problem is its not adjusted for location.
In high cost areas such as San Fran $15 bucks is probably not enough. In low cost areas say North Idaho $15 bucks is absurdly high.
Its stupid and lazy to pretend they are the same. This is why this issue is better left to the states to sort out and not the fed/gov.
Call it the Full Restaurant Automation Act.
Basic economics. Capital will seek out the least expensive option. When cost of labor exceeds cost of automation (I seem to recall I read that is $12/hr for fast food but someine can check me), automation wins.
And automation does not call in sick, need quarterly reviews, require HR, unionize, etc.
So, bring it. I am OK with kiosk ordering. They do it for McD at DFW .
Union wages are tied to the min wage.
This isn’t a case of business owners looking to pay higher wages for altruistic reasons. They simply recognize that their own state minimum wage is so much higher than the minimum wage in neighboring states ... and they want the neighboring states to be brought up to a level playing field.
10000% correct.
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