Divide and conquer the middle class on the minimum wage

[Omaha Steve]

Republicans are in talks to include anti-union provisions being tied to raising the minimum wage. You heard it here first (I think).

OS

[KamaAina]

1. So the minimum wage will be higher

but everyone will be making it?

[Fumesucker]

2. If they are lucky enough to have a job

[JonLP24]

3. How and what is your source?

I do believe the talks are real based on blind faith on an upcoming policy which features a Republican goody tied with a middle class proposal. The claim I'm interested in it is the Republicans coming up with this since Obama is famous for starting policy negotiations with goodies they want (Grand Bargain, for example). I do believe it is likely the Republicans came up with it since it is such a bad idea that it only looks to someone who doesn't understand what the results would look like. If this was Obama's idea, this would be among the most poorly thought out ones unless it is done for political reasons to run against the Republicans on (payroll tax cut is an example of this).

As to the proposal that is an easy no, don't vote for it or support it. Union busting lowers overall wages for labor more than increasing the minimum wage would counter it. Strong unions raise wages more than a minimum wage increase does. It does smell like a trick like this after previous negotiation moves by the President/House Democrats that they'd come up with one of their evil genius ideas. To me, it isn't even enough to entice me whatsoever but minimum wage laws are so popular people vote for them in over whelming majorities in Republican states so yeah, there is a lot of political landmines around this one but the right decision would be to reject it.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Now two of them

Last paragraph in the post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026078586

"allowing union workers to receive raises above their negotiated contracts."


And this: GOP Rep. Rokita: Union wage bill could be part of minimum wage discussion: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/12/todd-rokita-union-wage-bill-could-be-part-of-minim/

By David Sherfinski - The Washington Times - Monday, January 12, 2015

Rep. Todd Rokita, Indiana Republican and a member of the House Budget Committee, said Monday that legislation to change rules on union-negotiated wages could be a way to address issues involved in the debate over raising the minimum wage.

Mr. Rokita said his bill, called the RAISE Act, would fix federal law that doesn’t allow employers to pay union employees more than their union bosses negotiate.

“This bill … would simply allow employers — employers of union shops — to, regardless of the union contract or in addition to the union contract, give employees a raise based on merit,” he said.

Mr. Rokita, also a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, was speaking at the 2015 Heritage Action Conservative Policy Summit, a two-day event hosted by the political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation.


FULL story at link.

[JonLP24]

5. Thanks. This is huge story

I'll be paying very close attention, thanks for breaking it to us.

[joeglow3]

6. Pardon my ignorance, but why is allowing raises above the contract a bad thing?

[JonLP24]

7. Minimum wage increase itself isn't bad

That policy should be debated alone on its merits.

Strong unions & collective bargaining raises wages collectively and also for non union workers in industries where firms will have to offer competing wages for labor.

There are factors such as large labor supply and fewer places hiring but this is a why unions increases wages as they have an effect of shrinking labor supply increasing the demand for labor = hire wages.

The policy tactic of offering a Republican goody with a middle class proposal is being switched with a Republican goody (which is specifically anti-middle class) with fool's good at the other end.

A minimum wage increase under the scenario would mean industries that will always need labor such as fast food will have to pay a higher wage, I'm not sure how realistic the threat of fast food workers unionizing so I can't say it was a tradeoff but it certainly helps but overall strong unions would raise wages more than a minimum wage act so doing something that would collectively lower them while capitalizing on a policy that is politically popular, especially in states they win elections in.

[Populist_Prole]

8. And the bastards will have an easy time of it

Sad to say.

I'm working class and the comments of some co-workers make me want to smack them upside their heads. I hear them bashing other working class types they deem beneath them; in the "everybody but us is overpaid" sense. Of course, these are single-issue social ideologue assholes and I expect it, if not comprehend it. But even among relatively apolitical types, I notice an inveterate loyalty to trickle down bullshit: Hearing all the "if they get a raise, then a happy meal will cost a zillion dollars" type shit, ignoring the effect of the minimum wage earner's increased wages spending on the economy. Not because they thought it through, but because it's been repeated so ad-nauseum that they say it so as to sound like they're "informed" in economics.

Pains me to say: Divide & conquer absolutely worked for the plutocratic jerkweeds.