What's a fair wage for fast food workers?

[Monsterx]

On one hand, I see the need for higher wages in NYC, but is $15/hour a little steep for a fast food employee? http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/04/...-higher-wages/

[Wickabee]

$10/hr to start.

And I only say that because that's local min wage.
In reality, fast food places have been having trouble hiring for years because everyone thinks they're above it. No one is above fast food.

[shrewsbury]

for most it is temporary work, not a career

[centrehice]

The unfortunate thing about the USA, is that they refuse, State by State to pay waiters and waitresses the minimum wage. A server's wage is inherently $1.75 to $3.00 per hour less than the minimum wage.

The assumption that wait-staff make millions on undeclared gratuities, is simply that, an assumption. If you are going to make a minimum wage law, it must include everyone.

I don't know how this affects fast-food workers. I always thought that they were paid the same minimum wage as a grocery stock person, etc, are they paid less?

[Monsterx]

for most it is temporary work, not a career

You'd think so, but the people interviewed in the article were 3 years vested and above.

[Monsterx]

The unfortunate thing about the USA, is that they refuse, State by State to pay waiters and waitresses the minimum wage. A server's wage is inherently $1.75 to $3.00 per hour less than the minimum wage.

The assumption that wait-staff make millions on undeclared gratuities, is simply that, an assumption. If you are going to make a minimum wage law, it must include everyone.

I don't know how this affects fast-food workers. I always thought that they were paid the same minimum wage as a grocery stock person, etc, are they paid less?

According the article, fast food workers are paid state minimum wage.

[Monsterx]

$10/hr to start.

And I only say that because that's local min wage.
In reality, fast food places have been having trouble hiring for years because everyone thinks they're above it. No one is above fast food.

So minimum wage is what a fast food worker should be paid? In NY, the state minimum is $7.25/hr, I believe. While on one hand, it's nearly impossible to work for minimum wage in NYC. But on the other, what skill set do these employees have that sets them apart from anyone else that can walk in off of the street and do the same thing.

[centrehice]

New York is suppose to be one of the progressive States. It's minimum wage based on the cost of living should be around $10.75 per hour, not $7.25.

$7.25 can only sustain you if you live in a cardboard box near a hot-air vent.

[Star_Cards]

for most fast food positions minimum wage or a bit over seems like an appropriate starting wage. If you are a good worker and work for a decent owner you should see some raises. Simply put, these jobs really aren't careers. They are just jobs unless you plan to move up and start to take on more of a management roll. I'd assume that most fast food restaurants wouldn't be able to double the salaries of their typical worker. I get that not everyone has the opportunity, but when you want to make much more than minimum wage you really need to have some sort of a skill. Seems like these people need to start furthering their education or work on a trade to get themselves into better careers as opposed to a job that requires little to no previous experience. When you have a position where the majority of the work force is filled by first time workers and high school kids you can't really expect the wage to be in the $15 range. The typical flow of fast food workers seems to be high schoolers working for extra money and then moving on once they decide where they want to go as far as developing a career or going off to higher learning. The workforce will always have the next round of young, first time, high school workers ready to take their place. If you get stuck in a job with that sort of workforce you just can't expect to make double minimum wage.

[Star_Cards]

So minimum wage is what a fast food worker should be paid? In NY, the state minimum is $7.25/hr, I believe. While on one hand, it's nearly impossible to work for minimum wage in NYC. But on the other, what skill set do these employees have that sets them apart from anyone else that can walk in off of the street and do the same thing.

That's key to the downfall to their fight. You need zero skill to get hired on into the fast food job force. When I got hired on it was just a n interview and I had no special skill that the next guy had.