So, about that Amazon wage hike that Bernie is responsible for...

[JCanete]

162. I don't get it...if they aren't in the labor market the current system isn't doing them any good

either. Where have we been talking about this being the only thing that needs to be done? You just introduced this as an entirely different dimension to our discussion.

Frankly, I think we need BIG/UBI. Failing that, we need other programs coupled with minimum wage hikes, and universal healthcare that covers those who are out of work also.

Sure statistics can do as you say, but your argument doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up. There is no way that companies can pass all of the costs of a wage hike onto the consumer. If they could simply price products at anything they wanted and customers would still buy them, they would price them higher even now. They aren't trying to make sure people can get what they need at a reasonable price, they are trying to maximize profits. That means they will only raise the sticker price enough to mitigate some of the new costs.

As to paying salary versus hourly, sure....but why not simply do that now? They will choose the cheaper option for them, but if the cheaper option for them is still higher pay to the worker, then its still higher pay to the worker. And again, if you could simply go down the street and work at McDonalds why would you put up with being exploited for 80 hour work weeks at approximately the same level of pay?

The operative point here is that whatever decisions they are making now, they are only concerned with maximizing profit. There is nothing to fear that they might do if we make them pay more wages that they aren't already willing to do if it saves them money. Thinking that by cowing to big business interests we are staving these things off is folly.


And I did address that if you are in an employment desert perhaps you have no other options, but that's the same under a lower wage as it is under a higher minimum wage, so how on earth would a higher one hurt? Again, the logic of your addition is losing me.