Posted on 08/07/2019 9:41:49 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The lede from this Wall Street Journal article says it all: "More than six months after the $15 minimum wage went into effect in New York City, business leaders and owners say the increased labor costs have forced them to cut staff, eliminate work shifts and raise prices."
Duh.
Sarah McNally, owner of McNally Jackson Books, says, "Theres absolutely no benefit to being a retail business in New York." The unions, the conniving politicians, the anti-capitalist activists who were the driving force behind the "Fight for 15" movement have done a great job. They have all benefited while the workers and businesses have suffered the consequences.
Susannah Koteen, owner of Lido Restaurant in Harlem, said she worries about the impact raising wages could have on her restaurant, where she employs nearly 40 people. She hasnt had to lay off anyone, but the increase has forced her to cut back on shifts and be more stringent about overtime. She said she changes her menu offerings seasonally and raises prices more often since the wage boost.
What it really forces you to do is make sure that nobody works more than 40 hours, Ms. Koteen said. You can only cut back so many people before the service starts to suffer.
Ms. Koteen said she shelved plans to move her restaurant to a larger location. That would require her to hire more staff, and she isnt willing to take the risk with the unpredictability of her business. You would just have no choice but to cut people at the bottom, she said.
All of this was predicted. There are no surprises whatsoever in the way that businesses are suffering.
Perhaps most poignant of all, we can look back at the demonstrations by the poor, deluded workers who actually believed the propaganda that no jobs would be lost, no hours cut, and that businesses wouldn't suffer if wages were nearly doubled.
It was possible for the promoters of "Fight for 15" to trick the workers because they were incapable of understanding one of the most basic, underlying principles that make a capitalist economy work. That being, a workers' labor is worth no more and no less than the value they deliver to the company that employs them. Even unions eventually understood that concept -- too late, as it turned out for many of them.
For advocates of the $15 an hour minimum wage, it doesn't matter:
Anthony Advincula, spokesman for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, which advocated for the $15 minimum wage, said there are other factors beyond higher wages that result in unsuccessful businesses, and owners shouldnt blame the boost for their struggles.
Increasing to $15 would reduce income inequality, and the number of individuals living in poverty now is ridiculously high, he said. This is not just a business issue, this is a race, gender, pay-equality issue.
Hear that? He is parroting the same crap that was used to sell this snake oil in the first place. And when in doubt, always play the race card.
"Pay equality" doesn't mean squat if you're out of a job, or can't get one because businesses like Lido Restaurant in Harlem don't expand because it's too costly and the business climate too uncertain. Fat chance it will change anything at this point, anyway. Even if New York's economy tanks, politicians and advocates will still be spouting the same nonsensical gibberish that got them in this trouble in the first place.
The 15 dollar minimum is working perfectly. It is keeping otherwise employable people off the workforce, collecting unemployment and other goodies courtesy of the Democrat Party.
In short a huge success for the party.
Why not pay the $15 per hour wage and keep the tips?
You’ll be on my (just starting) Ping List for this type of information. In the meantime, I just posted a bunch of stuff off the top of my head, to get started. Have a look:
http://www.freerepublic.com/~bobl/index
In fact, why not switch to an “all you can eat” restaurant featuring soup and salad bar?
Soup Plantation, Souper Salad, Sweet Tomatoes, Jason’s Deli et al
That’s called unionization
That’s a good idea.
There’s a few restaurants out here that just serve salads now.
Please add me to your “Ping List”.
Thanks,
Eyes
Really. Name them. There are probably a million small businesses in NYC area. How many are having trouble? 5?
Fact 1: There is no historical data that suggests any causal relationship between increasing the minimum wage and increasing unemployment. No correlation what so ever.
Fact 2: There is no historical data to support the idea that increasing the minimum wage push up inflation. No correlation what so ever.
I learned this by doing just a little research on line. I'd post charts and graphs as supporting information but Freepers seem to hate them and most will not look at them.
What it really forces you to do is make sure that nobody works more than 40 hours,...
... that no jobs would be lost, no hours cut, and that businesses wouldn’t suffer if wages were nearly doubled.
Those folks never learned the lessons from obamacare.
The rules did not apply to those working something like 27 hours.
And just like that, everyone got part time jobs maxing at 27 hours per week.
its not that paying a little more at fast food places or restaurants of shops will kill us, but its the principle of the thing....we all work hard, at least I do, and I don’t like wasting money.
Hi guys - just to get started, I just put a few words into my About Page on the subject.
As I come across articles on the subject, I’ll be posting and pinging you guys and whoever else wants to join.
http://www.freerepublic.com/~bobl/index
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