[Newsbot]

Title: Alberta's minimum wage jumps to $12.20 per hour
Category: Business
Posted By: N_Fiddledog
Date: 2016-10-01 13:46:38
Canadian

[uwish]

record job losses, record high unemployment, record high bankruptcies, sure this makes total sense. What else could go wrong? ooo wait for it, CARBON TAXES are coming! Yey!

[BeaverFever]

It does make sense, for the families that rely on minimum wage employment.

Once the minimum wage is fully brought up to speed, they should just peg any future increasrs to the rate of inflation and just take the politics out of it.

[uwish]

well we can discuss whether it makes sense on a conceptual level, and then we can discuss this type of policy when we are in the middle of one of the worse downturns since the 1930's.

All this really does, is create innovation, which in itself is always a great thing. But, when applied to this condition, it drives more small business into closure, accelerates 'automated' ordering (like in McDonald's, and now other fast food establishments)and makes other larger food outlets like Safeway, Sobey's etc double their 'self checkout' lanes.

So sure, maybe it was needed but you cannot argue the timing is horrific!

As an aside, I have NEVER seen ANY reputable market analysis that would indicate Alberta raising it's min wage to now the highest in the nation, has ANY real affect other than driving out business. I am not an ogre, I think that the min wage was too low, considering the cost of living in Calgary for example, but once again the timing of this just goes to show the complete lack of connectivity this current NDP government has with reality.

[Brenda]

Companies an adult wants to work for pay above minimum anyway.

[Brenda]

uwish uwish:

well we can discuss whether it makes sense on a conceptual level, and then we can discuss this type of policy when we are in the middle of one of the worse downturns since the 1930's.

All this really does, is create innovation, which in itself is always a great thing. But, when applied to this condition, it drives more small business into closure, accelerates 'automated' ordering (like in McDonald's, and now other fast food establishments)and makes other larger food outlets like Safeway, Sobey's etc double their 'self checkout' lanes.

So sure, maybe it was needed but you cannot argue the timing is horrific!

As an aside, I have NEVER seen ANY reputable market analysis that would indicate Alberta raising it's min wage to now the highest in the nation, has ANY real affect other than driving out business. I am not an ogre, I think that the min wage was too low, considering the cost of living in Calgary for example, but once again the timing of this just goes to show the complete lack of connectivity this current NDP government has with reality.

Walmart, McDonalds, banks...
They all have self serve. Even gas stations.

[herbie]

It isn't the highest in the nation.
It's a whole $40 a week jump if you're full time minimum wage.
A dozen beer and a pack of smokes. The whole world is gonna end.

Be nice if some of the whiners were at least employers. Instead of whining that someone else might get ahead when they aren't.

[Caelon]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

It does make sense, for the families that rely on minimum wage employment.

Once the minimum wage is fully brought up to speed, they should just peg any future increasrs to the rate of inflation and just take the politics out of it.

What happens is a business has 10 employees at minimum wage. The minumum wage goes up and they cut it back to 9 people. Those still working are a little better off and the one let go is worse off. There are only so many dollars in the pot. The higher the minimum wage the fewer people to divide into the pot. Minimum wage people tend to be in places like fast food restaraunts. The menue and prices are set by the corporation. As margins squeeze something has to give. Oops you are the next one out of a job.

The minimum wage can and should go up, but in the current situation spread it out over a longer time period and move in smaller increments to let the customers and businesses adapt to the higher prices and costs. As quick as the NDP are doing it in Alberta just aggravates an already bad situation.

[Brenda]

Caelon Caelon:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

It does make sense, for the families that rely on minimum wage employment.

Once the minimum wage is fully brought up to speed, they should just peg any future increasrs to the rate of inflation and just take the politics out of it.

What happens is a business has 10 employees at minimum wage. The minumum wage goes up and they cut it back to 9 people. Those still working are a little better off and the one let go is worse off. There are only so many dollars in the pot. The higher the minimum wage the fewer people to divide into the pot. Minimum wage people tend to be in places like fast food restaraunts. The menue and prices are set by the corporation. As margins squeeze something has to give. Oops you are the next one out of a job.

The minimum wage can and should go up, but in the current situation spread it out over a longer time period and move in smaller increments to let the customers and businesses adapt to the higher prices and costs. As quick as the NDP are doing it in Alberta just aggravates an already bad situation.

If you have 10 people working for you and you pay them all minimum wage, you're either a big box store or an asshole who doesnt deserve loyal staff.

[BeaverFever]

Well we are not "in the middle of an economic downturn" the economy has been consistently growing, just slowly. Even Alberta has turned the corner and has so far shown steady growth; its unemployment is basically the same as the Canadian average.

I also reject the premise that employers automatically fire workers when some minor cost increase of a few cents comes along. Most businesses don't operate that close to the margins and they either absorb the cost or pass it on to customers and this isn't a suprise to them, they've had ample notice to plan accordingly.

As for minimum wage driving automation, well so be it. That's just technological innovation and it probably would have come along sooner rather than later even if minimum wages were frozen.

[herbie]

$1:

If you have 10 people working for you and you pay them all minimum wage, you're either a big box store or an asshole who doesnt deserve loyal staff.

None of the actual Big Box stores pay that shitty.
It's the scabby little ones that do shit like that. Where the shelves are half empty, never faced properly and not one employee gives a shit except for how long until quitting time.
The Big Boxes will have their own problems. The grocery chains and their de-nutted unions: the minimum wage is getting really close to their union start wage. Loblaws and Jimmy P are gonna have to pony up soon, or they'll only have the worst of candidates to pick their employees from.

[Brenda]

herbie herbie:

$1:

If you have 10 people working for you and you pay them all minimum wage, you're either a big box store or an asshole who doesnt deserve loyal staff.

None of the actual Big Box stores pay that shitty.
It's the scabby little ones that do shit like that. Where the shelves are half empty, never faced properly and not one employee gives a shit except for how long until quitting time.
The Big Boxes will have their own problems. The grocery chains and their de-nutted unions: the minimum wage is getting really close to their union start wage. Loblaws and Jimmy P are gonna have to pony up soon, or they'll only have the worst of candidates to pick their employees from.

Walmart here pays minimum wage
Dollarama here pays a dime over minimum wage and a dollar over minimum for a key holder.
Ardene pays minimum wage...

[uwish]

herbie herbie:

It isn't the highest in the nation.
It's a whole $40 a week jump if you're full time minimum wage.
A dozen beer and a pack of smokes. The whole world is gonna end.

Be nice if some of the whiners were at least employers. Instead of whining that someone else might get ahead when they aren't.

First off I am an employer, secondly yes AB will have the highest min wage in the country when it is set to hit $15/hr by Oct 2018. When it reaches $13.60 next year it WILL be the highest in the nation.

[BartSimpson]

If raising the minimum wage has no negative impact on the economy (as we are so often told) then why not make it $50 an hour and instantly make the Wal Mart worker middle class?

Hmmmm?

[BeaverFever]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

If raising the minimum wage has no negative impact on the economy (as we are so often told) then why not make it $50 an hour and instantly make the Wal Mart worker middle class?

Hmmmm?

If a pin prick isn't harmful to your health then why not drive a samurai sword through your guts?

Hmmmm?