Just Went Off On My Partner About Living Wages

[BayCityProgressive]

okay, so I just went off on my partner about living wages. I was readin about how IWW has been organizing Starbucks workers and I was talking to him about how the CEO of Starbucks is worth over 1 billion dollars. I am a CWA union member and work for AT&T, he is a manager at Walgreens. I stated that everyone should be able to make a livable wage and his response was "they just work in a coffee shop...if you want to make more money go to school." UGH...I had the urge to scream at him so I had to leave the room lol. I said "why is it that people like to complain about a worker making $10 an hour and not the boss with $1 billion?" He didn't say anything and went back to watching tv. I have met many people like this and it is so infuriating I can hardly stand it. Is this country really this right wing that now it is considered radical for a full time worker to make a livable wage??!?

[baldguy]

1. I'm sure there are more than a few BAs and PhDs working at Starbucks

Education level has nothing to do with it. Degree or no, in order to live a person working 40 hrs a week needs a living wage from that job. Or they work two or three or four jobs to makes ends meet - and therefor have no time left for anything else.

[angstlessk]

2. Ask him if he wants a sickly person who cannot afford to have his TB

treated serving HIM coffee?

[BayCityProgressive]

4. When he knows I am right

he stops talking and goes back to watching tv lol. I think that is the most frustrating part. What is the incentive to work if you can't live off of what you work for? Also, It is we the workers who produce the goods that create wealth for these CEO's...why should he have 1 billion dollars and a worker less than 20k a year? It is just sick!

[TankLV]

3. So why did you pick him/her to be with in the first place, and why are you still with him/her?

Seems a basic core principle to me - either you're for true compassion for everyone, or you're a greedy SOB like your partner aparently is - and ignorant to boot...

[BayCityProgressive]

7. it really irritates me

that he feels this way..the funny thing is he is a liberal Democrat and thinks Walgreens should have a union. He is good on most issues but he has this fairy tale vision that everyone can go to college and wants to and that everyone can find a way to make it and live happily ever after. His parents are really right wing and have lots of money and while we are not rich we are secure. I think he has trouble putting himself in shoes he has never been in.

[originalpckelly]

5. I know from experience with a family member...

that even those who are highly educated with multiple BAs may find themselves working at a Starbucks, in some cases quite a number more than you'd expect.

[BayCityProgressive]

8. One of my friends has a BA

and works at Starbucks lol. His best friend went to school to be a teacher and hasn't found a job that pays more than $10 an hour in 2 yrs...so I just don't get it..

[Cobalt Violet]

6. Without a living wage going back to school would be out of the question.

For many of these folks. I wonder if he has thought of that.

[BayCityProgressive]

9. Also

I am used to being to the left of most people because I consider myself a socialist...but I hardly think getting $10/hr is socialism...it seems to me anything less fromt hese big companies is extortion.

[mitchtv]

10. Hey Bay City Prog

a shout out from CWA 9410 (retired)

[MiniMe]

11. Ask your partner where the educated people are supposed to work if their job is outsourced

to another country? Because that is what is happening everywhere, with the blessing of the administration.

[Spangle]

12. Slave labor force

A wage that is less then a 'livign wage' is 'slave wages.' Slave wages don't pay for much. Don't pay for a decent place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear and forget about medical expenses. All that stuff is for the folks in the big house.

That pretty much is the SAME picture of those living on less then a 'living wage.'

Since we need certian things to survive or to take care of our kids, we are slaves. We HAVE to accept what ever jobs we can get.