[Fee]

Dems picked a good issue that GOP needs to watch carefully. Future trends show that technology will allow for further automation of the workplace. Up to 40 percent of current jobs can be automated. It will happen even if wages are low because corporations can do it. Robots can work 24/7, are very precise, and you do not have to provide it with healthcare, etc etc etc. That means more Americans will be unemployed while the labor savings will be pocketed by the corporation and bonuses will increase for CEO and exec staff. Income gap will grow with automation because the wealth and profit will be shared with fewer people, the employed and the ones on top. Income inequality will become an issue as time goes on and automation proceeds. Dems recognize this and are getting ahead of it, while the GOP assumes it will go away.

[Yosemitest]

Minimum-wage increase proposals are NOT about minimum wages.
It's about UNION wages (read government employees mostly) and UNION DUES.
Like "Artie" on another thread wrote.

"but my theory is that
this is one of the foundations of single payer.
Down the road, as single payer replaces ObamaCare,
all healthcare workers will become in essence government employees.
Think about how many thousands of new, dues paying union members will magically become part of the SEIU.

Barry had sealed this deal with Andy Stern years ago.
Barry promised Andy and the SEIU thousands of new members,
Andy says
great,
this is the wage structure we need
so we can pay the slush fund.
Gotta pay a living wage to all of the new union members
so dues can be extracted
and kickbacks to the dems can be made.
It’s convoluted
but what dem scheme isn’t,
especially when large sums of cash are involved?"
I'll say this:
"You're WELL AHEAD of the crowd,
in thinking out the corruption
behind this "FALSE FLAG" ! "

So read the following:

Union Support Of Minimum Wage Hike Is Self-Interested

Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, ... was quick to emphasize that her organization's support of a more-than-twofold increase in the minimum wage was "not about growing unions."

This may be true — but it's also undeniable that such a move would have a profound impact on growing union paychecks, even if those unions don't count a single minimum-wage employee in their ranks.

The fine print can be found in union contracts. Each year, the Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) releases a number of union collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).

Unsurprisingly, many CBAs available in the OLMS database LINK union salaries and wage rates to the federal minimum wage. There are a number of methods that unions use to accomplish this end. The two most popular appear to be setting baseline union wages as a percentage above the minimum wage, and mandating a flat wage at a set level above the minimum wage.

One example is a series of CBAs signed with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). Their contracts mandated that
"(w)henever the federal legal minimum wage is increased, minimum wage (in the agreement) shall be increased so that each will be at least fifteen (15%) percent higher than such legal minimum wage."

There's also an SEIU local's contract, which ordered that
"(t)he minimum hourly wage rates shall exceed any statutory applicable minimum wage rate by 50 cents."

Some unions have also arranged contracts where the employer MUST renegotiate their contracts in case of a minimum-wage hike, NO MATTER HOW LONG is left on the pact's life span.

The possibility for abuse here is staggering:
Unions with average wages WELL ABOVE the minimum wage CAN INSERT such clauses into their contracts, FORCING negotiations in industries not otherwise affected by a wage hike.

Given the limited number of CBAs available in the OLMS database, it's impossible to determine just how widespread this practice is.

But at least one union has trumpeted this arrangement as "one of the many advantages of being a union member."

Earlier this year on its blog, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union proudly boasted that "oftentimes, union contracts ARE TRIGGERED TO IMPLEMENT WAGE HIKES IN CASE OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES."

This is a stunning admission of SELF-INTERESTt for an organization that's actively PUSHING minimum-wage hikes at both the state and federal levels of government.

It also raises questions about unions' growing use of nonunion "worker centers" like the Restaurant Opportunities Center, OUR Walmart, Fast Food Forward and other organizations that have made headlines in recent months.

These groups advocate many policies that would affect those businesses that pay a minimum wage — restaurants, retailers, etc. — and a minimum-wage hike is often the FIRST demand that these union front groups make. This only casts further suspicion on the motives of the labor unions funding these groups.

No matter how you look at it, the benefits that these unions stand to reap from a minimum-wage hike should raise questions about their real motives — and whether they're only manipulating the debate over fast-food wages for their own benefit.

Berman is the executive director at the Center for Union Facts.

[2ndDivisionVet]

And we ain’t one of ‘em. We have jobs here and if you’re stuck at the minimum wage, maybe there’s a reason for that.

[jonrick46]

This is how the unions will pick up on more money coming in from union wages being raised accordingly. Higher wages means more income from dues. The money will support Democrat races.

[faithhopecharity]

Less and less jobs. More and more people forced onto the dole. And since minimum wage jobs are a big part of giving people their first employment opportunities, many folks will never even get started working. But that’s ok. Obammy will give them all “ free” birth control with their welfare cheques, good stamps , and free obamaphones. An entire generation of Sandra flukes. The “ transformation of AmerikaSSR”.

[Gene Eric]

The increase for one employee will cost another 3 months of health care insurance.

[SECURE AMERICA]

the politically potent income inequality issue this year

If the Democrats think they are getting hammered on Obamacare just wait until they start yapping about this day and night.
If jobs are produced income will be had. Talking about income inequilty will not put food on anyones table.......

[RginTN]

Small businesses will be hardest hit. Eventually prices of goods & services will have to be raised.

Dang too bad Boehner & co don’t have the Conservative foundation to counter this dumb proposal.

[mosesdapoet]

When economists discuss monetary value, which is the purchasing power of that unit, they allways refer to the top value of the coin of the realm in our (US) case it’s the dollar which is composed of 100 cents not the most basic unit which is the penny. .

A case in point is in the 1940’s a candy bar cost 5 cents when the hourly minimum wage was $.50 per hour. What does it cost today ? Likewise what were the costs of basic goods and services during that period of time as compared with todays basic wage feel good tinkering ?

Who gets hurt the worst when these adjustments are decreed by government? It’s those living on fixed incomes who’s income value is based on previous minimum wage levels such as social security but not adjusted to the previous current rates of inflation. That also includes living on government subsidies we call “welfare” but those subsidies eventually get increased. But never those receiving “Social Security” .

When these feel good socialists frauds who have taken over the democratic in name only party banner propose these increases. That is never considered as they pound their breasts claiming they’re for the little guy. All they’re doing is un-necessarily raising the price on goods and services broadening the demand that those affected seek help from them..

[CPT Clay]

So we don’t need a national one...

[napscoordinator]

Let the states deal with it. The federal government should step aside. The states are the ones with the pulse of their own economy. State’s Rights is out the door with the Obama Administration.