Went to a concert last night. (about low wage sales workers.)

[edhopper]

Went to a concert at a supper club last night. the tickets were $35 and spent about another $40 on dinner. Great show and a really good evening for a little more than $70.
But as i sat there two days after Thanksgiving, I thought about those poor souls who not only had to spend their holiday working and not enjoying friends and family as I had, but are paid at such a impoverished level that a $70 night out is way beyond their budget.
My family income is a little under the median, so I am not what you would call well off, but the 'Grapes of Wrath' mentality of employers is shameful.
Everyone deserves a living wage, and enjoying an occasional night out or a little vacation, let alone food and shelter, should not be considered an undue privilege.

[antiquie]

1. Good karma. Thank you for your empathy.

Lately there have been threads "supporting" poor people by explaining why they "waste their money on luxury items." Living on very limited funds, I know a lot of people without any disposable income. Yes, a few go for what might be called luxury items (like cable or a working tv), but most are too busy putting food on the table and paying utilities. None of us eat out, go to movies or plays. I have been saving for my big luxury item, a clothes dryer, which I might get this month.

Thank you again. You made my day.

[edhopper]

4. And i think to be part of

our culture, cable TV, internet access and a cell phone are not "luxury" items, but a part of everyday life. But the costs of these are quite high (higher than in other countries) I grew up when TV was free over the air and the phone was wired to the wall. The costs were affordable.
And as has been referenced elsewhere, a minimum wage indexed to inflation would be close to $20 today.

[Laelth]

2. Indeed. Everyone deserves a living wage. n/t

-Laelth

[LiberalEsto]

3. My daughter is a waitress and makes $2.13 an hour

On Friday she worked a 9-hour shift at a restaurant in a shopping mall, and got a little more than $30 in tips, total.

In other words, about $5.50 an hour for 9 hours of hard work serving people who are too cheap to leave decent tips.

Of course these shoppers out hunting Black Friday bargains couldn't care less about leaving a decent tip for a waitperson.

[edhopper]

5. pitiful

The whole idea of the customers paying the wait staff wages and not the restaurant is deplorable.
If that is the model, an automatic gratuity should be added to the check.

[MrMickeysMom]

10. Did she have to report those tips?

Probably, she did.

I just made a decision that anyone who will be tipped from this point (with me, that would be my hairdresser and the occasional time we eat out) will be paid separately in cash.

I don't want any employer to track tips.

[aggiesal]

13. That's illegal . . .

Your daughter gets paid $2.13 per hour.
With tips you should be able to cover the remaining
minimum wage salary.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Since your daughter only got $5.50 per hour,
her employer is "supposed" to cover the remaining
$1.75 per hour.

Unfortunately, if your daughter were to request the
remaining payment, she would probably get fired
for not working hard enough to cover her minimum
wage.
I've seen it happen.

This system sucks. They should get at least minimum
wage plus tips. But the restaurant lobby agreed to NOT
lobby against the minimum wage law as long as the law
didn't apply to restaurant workers where tips are earned.

Again, this system really sucks.

[HooptieWagon]

6. For $7.25/hr workers....

spending $20 to hear a local band at a bar is out of the budget. $5 cover, 4 PBRs at $2.50 each, and $4 in tips for the 4 beers. This has affected the audience size, which reduces the money the musicians make. And ASCAP bases their licensing fees on maximum capacity, not actual attendence. This puts a squeeze on bar owners from the other end. There is a hell of a lot of good music out there, that simply has no way to be heard.

[dembotoz]

7. i don't go to concerts much anymore--too damn expensive

[edhopper]

8. In 1970 tickets to the Filmore East

to see the likes of Jimi Hendrix or The Who were $4.50 and minimum wage was $1.60. That is a ticket for less than three hours work.
Today that would mean a ticket to see a top Rock act for a little over $20. Good luck with that. You are lucky to get a $50 or $60 in the rafters.

[Mr.Bill]

9. I think about this everytime I'm in a restaurant.

I'm not rich but if I have the money at the time I tip a lot more than I used to.

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. I went out with a group the other night.

There were three separate bills. I found myself making up the difference of their 15 percent tips on my own tip so that it was 20 percent across the board.

[Mr.Bill]

16. Well done!

[madokie]

12. Minimum wage should be a livable wage

nothing less will do

[johnp3907]

14. Alienated labor.

"At home he feels like a tourist."

[2Design]

15. Restaurants need to pay people minimum wage - I do NOT like to encourage wait staff to continue work

at crappy restaurants where the clientele do not tip well - get a job somewhere else - even fast food pays better

[Mr.Bill]

17. They have to in California

and some other states, I believe. Still not enough for how hard they have to work, IMO.