U&L case study on raising minimum wage...

[Left Seater]

So the community of SeaTac south of Seattle has passed a city ordinance that pays certain hospitality and service workers a minimum wage of $15 per hour. The major employer in the area is the Seattle airport also called Sea-Tac.

One of the big factors supporters of this rule kept going back to was "living wage.". They claimed that the wages paid previously were not enough for employees to live on, especially those with kids. Business owners of course weren't happy with this and fought it prior to passage and some have succeeded in court with injunctions.

For people this rule affected, change has been constant, it is up to them to decide if that change is positive or negative.

One example is Alaska Airlines. Their ramp rats were employees who were affected by this rule. For most this doubled or nearly doubled their hourly pay. Alaska airlines who operates their largest hub in Seattle would have seen labor costs rise substantially, decided to outsource the ramp work to a sub. So the employees suddenly found themselves working for a contractor. As part of that they lost many of their other benefits. They now can't fly Alaska for free on passes, they no longer have a pension, the health care plans are more expensive, parking isn't free and the new employer prohibits overtime.

Another example is hotel maids and front desk staff. Some chains have multiple properties in the general area. So, this creates wages at one property that are double the ones down the street a few blocks. How do they handle that? One of the chains has decided that they will make all hourly jobs at the Sea-Tac location part time. So these employees will no longer qualify for benefits such as medical, 401K, vacation time, etc. Another chain will rotate employees between locations so that each employee works at the Sea-Tac property one day a week.

So is this wage hike a good thing for employees?

Are their jobs that are entry level that shouldnt pay a living wage, or should every job pay a living wage?

[Mikey]

Are maids, front desk staff and "ramp rats" entry level jobs?

Just wondering, because I'd like to know what the upward career path is for these workers once they're no longer considered "entry" level employees.

[Dinsdale]

So the community of SeaTac south of Seattle has passed a city ordinance that pays certain hospitality and service workers a minimum wage of $15 per hour.

So has the city of Seattle.

For most this doubled or nearly doubled their hourly pay.

Uhm... no. Washington already had a minimum wage over $9.

Are their jobs that are entry level that shouldnt pay a living wage, or should every job pay a living wage?

I'm a libertarian (sort of) -- I don't believe in any minimum wage. Don't like the wages? Don't take the job.

[Left Seater]

Are maids, front desk staff and "ramp rats" entry level jobs?

Just wondering, because I'd like to know what the upward career path is for these workers once they're no longer considered "entry" level employees.

I don't know Mikey. That's why I asked the question.

As far as maids, I am sure there are jobs they could aspire and work up too. I do know that front desk staff can move to salaried positions in the sales and convention dept. Ramp rats are definitely entry level. There isn't a single poster here who couldn't do the ramper job today after about 3 minutes of instruction if you already have a DL. One airline I know of has annual raises for the rampers for 5 years. After the 5th year the pay stays flat. They thing people should move up or move on by then.

Should the kid bagging my groceries, the kid pumping gas, the kid selling cokes at the stadium all be paid a living wage too?


Dins I stand corrected on the minimum wage of WA prior. I relied on info I read, not first hand knowledge. I tend to agree with you on the wages for the job. If you don't like them, don't take the job. When the employer can't fill the slots he/she can raise the wage or close.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

minimum wage = neo-liberal social control

[Moving Sale]

I'm a libertarian (sort of) -- I don't believe in any minimum wage. Don't like the wages? Don't take the job.

I am totally down with this as long as it's an area without anti-trust problems.

[Diego in Seattle]

You're also wrong about the outsourcing of the ramp jobs. They weren't outsourced as a result of the $15 minimum wage, as Alaska Air contracted with Menzies way back in 2005.

But nice try at the "see how the sky falls when minimum wage goes up?"

And I'd also be fine with no minimum wage. As long as ICE had it's resources tripled & given the ability to monitor employers for the hiring of illegals & companies faced severe penalties (including loss of state business licenses) for employing illegals.

[Left Seater]

If the employer checked the SS card and and other required docs, but the employee forged or purchased a card to get around the employer checks, then the employer shouldn't be held liable.

Now if the employer doesn't care then I would agree with you.

[King Crimson]

sounds to me like a wage hike for employees gives them a chance to do what they want with their earnings....much like conservative claims about social security...invest in themselves instead of nanny state programs. or blow it in cheap hooch.

i'd need to see some link to alaska airlines to know that their "ramp rats", making minimum wage....had health insurance from aa.

in fact, some kind of link at all makes for a better case in the original post.

[Left Seater]

http://jonathanturley.org/2014/01/04/ci ... trimental/

http://watchdog.org/126785/seattle-minimum-wage-2/


http://shiftwa.org/sea-tac-workers-not- ... -min-wage/

[King Crimson]

http://jonathanturley.org/2014/01/04/ci ... trimental/

http://watchdog.org/126785/seattle-minimum-wage-2/


http://shiftwa.org/sea-tac-workers-not- ... -min-wage/

interesting group of links from a first browse....and i appreciate you doing it.

i do. most people wouldn't.

[mvscal]

Are "ramp rats" entry level jobs?

Actually, the preferred term was "ramp tramp." It was an entry level position, but we made a good deal more than minimum wage to start. I worked for a small contract ground handling company for air freight for a few years when I was in college.