Archives for category: Minimum Wage

In the news:

Jan 3, 2025 KOMO News

West Seattle restaurant owner closes doors as rising minimum wage strains finances

Superstar performers, average workers, and slackers are all paid the same per government mandate:

Jan 3, 2025 KIRO 7 News

Seattle minimum wage hike taking toll on small businesses

“As of Jan. 1, Seattle’s minimum wage increased by 79 cents, reaching $20.76 per hour for all businesses, regardless of size.”

 

Recommendation for a free society-

Stay away from one size fits all mandates.

Let business people make business decisions.

Let customers support or walk away from the businesses of their choosing.

 

Find 10 successful people.

Ask them if they ever worked for min. wage.

Ask them why they no longer are on it.

 

Dining Out

Used to enjoy eating out. This feeling was good for decades and in multiple states. 80s, 90s, all the way up until COVID.

Tipping? No problem.

Really do not go out much anymore.

Why?

Expense, iffy experience, smaller portions, business has a hard time finding staff to show up, this leads to reduced quality of experience, etc.

From comments:

Minimum wage jobs are for entry level workers into the labor force, not intended to be a family supporting job. You work there for a while, learn to come to work on time, learn how to team up with fellow employees, learn to take orders from supervisors, learn to interact with the public etc. After you have accomplished this, then you can take that experience down the road to another business and get a better paying job. Each job you work should build up your skills so when you are an adult, you can get a decent paying job and support yourself.”

Love this comment.

I would add: Do not plan to live in a high cost area if you want the good life on minimum wage.

 

As I move about, I am mindful of the workers who set their own minimum wage. Who would that be?

People who work on overhead power lines. People who pump septic tanks, operate heavy equipment, work on tree cutting crews, work for the Puget Sound maritime industry, work at Costco, work as a plumber, work as an electrician, work as a Real Estate agent, drive long-haul trucks, work on oil rigs and work on commercial fishing boats.

Related:

Happy New Year – Thought About It

Jobs of the Past/Human Interactions of the Past

From 2017:

Good Jobs in the Seattle area

From 2011:

Think about how you would mentor a young person.

Would you encourage them not to get promoted, stay at the lowest possible level and depend on the government to ration out pay raises?

Would you encourage them to remain in a group where superstar performers, average workers, and slackers are all paid the same per government mandate?

Be one of the best, show up on time, hustle, burn the candle at both ends, establish yourself early in life, avoid debt and create some freedom for yourself.

Get yourself promoted at work- just one time- & your pay will no longer be linked to the minimum wage.

Minimum Wage / “Living Wage” Laws-

 

Possibly of interest – from 2017:

Don’t wait on minimum wage to go up

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo-

Welcome Visitors

Rent yourself a State Parks buoy at Fort Worden

Voted best consumer value in weekend recreation.

 

Seeing various posts about how hard it is to pay for a 2 bedroom apartment on minimum wage, the force of government needs to be used to get employers to provide better pay & benefits, public officials need to help more with college expenses, etc.

Looks like it’s not all bad news:

Looming crisis seen for maritime jobs as workers near retirement age

More here from various sources:

Training, jobs open up as maritime sector’s workforce ages

Seattle maritime industry looks to high schools for new work force

Help wanted: Washington State Ferries needs engineers

Report: Maritime industry staying afloat, growing steadily

Tacoma to Add Four More Container Cranes

Washington State Ferries looks to train workforce of its future as retirements loom

Teens can find paid summer internships in Seattle

State ferry system hiring as it faces retirement crisis

Port of Seattle offers 150 paid high school and college summer internship

100 jobs: Cargo company to occupy former Everett mill site

Welders needed: New Seattle program offers training

Now hiring: Maritime industry bustling, but lacking future workforce

 

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Meanwhile, Heroin-Trafficking Cartels Move Product into Washington State

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Our free and independent press has stopped asking questions.

and Sound of Freedom

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

Photo- Early winter morning- Point Wilson, Washington

 

Think about how you would mentor a young person.

Would you encourage them not to get promoted, stay at the lowest possible level and depend on the government to ration out pay raises?

Would you encourage them to remain in a group where superstar performers, average workers, and slackers are all paid the same per government mandate?

Be one of the best, show up on time, hustle, burn the candle at both ends, establish yourself early in life, avoid debt and create some freedom for yourself.

Get yourself promoted at work- just one time- & your pay will no longer be linked to the minimum wage.

 

Public Places- Paid for with Public Money

At Joe’s Bar & Grill, Joe should decide if smoking is OK. Ditto for the use of plastic bags, drug testing, menu contents, choice of lightbulbs, minimum wage, etc.

Not trying to do away with minimum wage, smoking bans or any of the rest. Business owners should be free to opt in or out.

How about letting private businesspeople use their payroll to offer promotion & bonus incentives to people who perform instead of putting a gun to their head that requires good, bad & average workers to get paid the same because the government says so?

 

Recommendation for a free society-

Stay away from one size fits all mandates.

Let business people make business decisions.

Let customers support or walk away from the businesses of their choosing.

 

Minimum Wage machine?

People get more from work than cranking a handle. Experience, on the job training, association with others, the chance to get promoted, etc.

How many people who make better than min. wage would be OK with standing in the corner and cranking the handle for the same pay?

 

Find 10 successful people.

Ask them if they ever worked for min. wage.

Ask them why they no longer are on it.

 

McDonalds banned indoor smoking in Washington State before they were forced to- imagine that.