Reply #47: The best argument I think the OP writer can make....

[Tom Rinaldo]

I think the remaining workers there may be able to approach the bosses and say that they realize thet the business is not making any money now and that the owners are working for nothing for the time being, but the owners have a cushion to live off that the workers don't.

It seems the owners want to keep the business going at a lower bleed rate for awhile so that it will be intact and able to resume making money if the economy rebounds. I think maybe if I worked there I would say I understood that, but that the owners need to recalibrate slightly what it costs to keep the business running during this down turn. I might ask for 10% of my lost pay back saying I couldn't keep working there any longer otherwise, but that I would then continue to work hard with the owners to keep things running while waiting for a rebound that could restore liveable wages.