Los Angeles Minimum wage $15hr

[CentralCalEMT]

Right which leads to the question will the big companies give anything above minimum wage to compete? They already pay the state minimum wage and didn't do any increases when the wage went up.

I would think the larger companies would stick around just because with the exodus of the small companies you would have an abundance of calls in the LA city limits with a lack of competition. The larger companies who have the money in the bank to pay their employees more initially would pay the higher rate and then off set the high labor cost by running the crews into the ground. I feel for those IFT crews if that happens because they will run non stop with no breaks. ETAs to the SNFs and hospitals would probably go up due to a lack of units. Maybe some of those SNFs would actually have to call 911 instead of waiting 2 hours for an IFT ambulance.

 

[Uclabruin103]

Doesn't go into affect until 2020. Plenty of time to be repealed.

 

[zzyzx]

The minimum wage should be high enough for a person to be able to afford to live on their income. When it is not and the government has to come in to provide food stamps, Medicaid, tax rebates, etc., then the government, and taxpayers, are in effect subsidizing businesses. I'd say it is kinda hypocritical for those companies to then complain about the government interfering in their business.

 

[Carlos Danger]

The minimum wage should be high enough for a person to be able to afford to live on their income. When it is not and the government has to come in to provide food stamps, Medicaid, tax rebates, etc., then the government, and taxpayers, are in effect subsidizing businesses. I'd say it is kinda hypocritical for those companies to then complain about the government interfering in their business.

No.

 

[281mustang]

The minimum wage should be high enough for a person to be able to afford to live on their income.

That's relative to what you consider a reasonable standard of living. Working 40 hours/week of unskilled labor shouldn't necessarily entitle someone to middle class living standards.

I'm not a fan of minimum wage laws to begin with, but they currently do provide a wage high enough to ensure sufficient funds for food and some type of shelter. If you want more than the bare minimum there are plenty of opportunities available to get there.

 

[zzyzx]

I understand that to people living outside of L.A. County, $15 seems like a lot for unskilled work. But believe me, here it is not.
I also understand that this is a complicated issue. Even most liberal economist believe that it would be is mistake for the federal gov to mandate a $15 wage nationwide. One issue is that the cost of living varies so greatly throughout the country. Another is that the earned income tax credit targets people with families, whereas an increased minimum wage targets not only the people who need a better income the most, but also high school kids who don't have families.
My issue is that I hate having the government provide subsidies to business. It's a @#$@# up form of capitalism when the government provides corporate welfare. And this is especially so when we are providing subsidies for business that don't add value to their communities, i.e. McDonalds. So what if cheeseburgers and 24 oz sodas end up costing more? Poor people eating fast food because that's all they can afford is not a public health interest.
Honest pay for an honest day's work. What's wrong with that?

 

[Carlos Danger]

. So what if cheeseburgers and 24 oz sodas end up costing more? Poor people eating fast food because that's all they can afford is not a public health interest.
Honest pay for an honest day's work. What's wrong with that?

Read the article that I posted earlier.

 

[Woodtownemt]

I think it all comes down to the times. Cost of living has gone up for everyone. Thanks to the economy there are more people holding a degree then before. These same people are also working lower paying jobs because of the shear number of people who also hold some form of degree. Even if you don't have higher education there are still jobs out there that not everyone will do or feel they are better then that. Does that mean they should get the short straw because someone else is lucky enough to overcome the obstacles they encounted. Like medicine, what works for one person might not work for another. Most public service still don't require a degree like your local PD, FD, etc. should they settle for less in compensation just because for what ever reason they couldn't earn a degree in a timely matter or at all? U.S. runs on debt. It is the American way to live beyond our means and why I think if we don't start snapping out of it we will forever fall victim to those well off. Equality is key here.

 

[Carlos Danger]

The problem with minimum wages is that they have the exact opposite effect that they are purported to. They actually hurt the working poor, and especially the already-unemployed.

Think about it. If the best job you can get is for $8/hr, what does that really mean? It means that the labor you are able to provide your employer is only worth $8/hr to them. If your labor were actually worth more, then you'd be able to find someone willing to pay you what it's actually worth, and you would already be making for than $8/hr.

A government minimum-wage mandate doesn't change the value of your labor. It increases what the employer is legally required to pay you, but all that means is that now there is a significant gap between what you cost your employer and what you are really worth to your employer. That's a very bad position to be in, as a low-skilled employee.

In the case of fast food, cashiers will simply be replaced by robots. In the case of manufacturing, the plants will move. Service positions that can't be automated - like landscapers or the guys who work at the quicky oil change places - will be eliminated because demand for those services will fall as the price increases in order to pay the higher wages.

It's already happened in Seattle. Just this past year, the number of food service jobs has dropped as many restaurants that have been around for decades had to close, because they simply couldn't afford to pay the higher wages. What does that mean? More unemployed people, more people on welfare, fewer people paying taxes. More vacant buildings, and a higher cost for people who want to go out for dinner.

In the case of EMS, it's hard to say what will happen. The services are going to get squeezed hard because their payroll expenses will go way up while the amount they bill doesn't change at all. My guess is you'll see smaller services leave, and there will be fewer jobs for EMT's and paramedics. A few larger services will remain but working for them will be awful, as they are forced to do more with fewer people and older equipment.

 

[RefriedEMT]

I think it all comes down to the times. Cost of living has gone up for everyone. Thanks to the economy there are more people holding a degree then before. These same people are also working lower paying jobs because of the shear number of people who also hold some form of degree. Even if you don't have higher education there are still jobs out there that not everyone will do or feel they are better then that. Does that mean they should get the short straw because someone else is lucky enough to overcome the obstacles they encounted. Like medicine, what works for one person might not work for another. Most public service still don't require a degree like your local PD, FD, etc. should they settle for less in compensation just because for what ever reason they couldn't earn a degree in a timely matter or at all? U.S. runs on debt. It is the American way to live beyond our means and why I think if we don't start snapping out of it we will forever fall victim to those well off. Equality is key here.

Yea the debt system is sad, yet easily fixed by turning the Federal Reserve scum of a corporation into nothing but a place to print money instead of a place to scam every American alive. Don't forget to abandon the IMF and world bank....