Have you noticed recently the big push for a minimum wage increase in Virginia, which is rated #1 for business, has a low unemployment rate of 3.3%, and a very good quality of life rating.
Many of the local members of the “Democratic” party have been pushing this issue and claiming it is the “right thing to do” for the people and is only fair.
This issue has been debated several times on RightsideVA and in the local media and has gotten heated at times. I am still waiting for somebody to show me a person working in Augusta County for the minimum wage of $5.15 and to present what job skills that person has and if those skills command more pay. The free market works and a person with increased\learned job skills will and have been paid more for they produce more and are more valuable to the job market. I have also asked how raising the minimum wage will increase\promote job skills and what will be the incentive for the worker to learn more and thus improve their skills and making themselves more valuable…
Recently I had the opportunity to hear Michael Reynold, the Executive Director of Free Enterprise Watch and he provided some very interesting information. The following information is from the website
Check out the following information and this might just explain the big push for a minimum wage increase in Virginia and how it will benefit(?) the worker. Or will it benefit Big Labor and unions who require their workers to pay dues which are then given to candidates of the unions choice and not the workers choice.
Maybe this is why the local Democrats claim they want to talk to Senator Allen about supporting an increase in the minimum wage? For the benefit of the workers or the union? Maybe they should ask Democratic Governor Kaine why he took so much in “Big Labor” campaign contributions?
Labor Money
- Organized labor spent more than $1.95 million in last year’s three statewide races.
- Governor Kaine received more than 10 times the amount of campaign contributions from
big labor than the previous governor received.
- The Service Employees International Union gave Governor Kaine’s campaign three times
the total amount of all labor contributions that Governor Warner received.
- This year, a non-election year, big labor has contributed over $315,000 to anti-business
officials and organizations.
Appointments
- The governor has placed union officials at the highest levels of state government. The
Administration’s policy and message are controlled by union operatives.
- The governor has appointed former AFL-CIO president Daniel LeBlanc to be his Senior
Workforce Advisor, a cabinet-level position. As recently as February 2006 LeBlanc has
called Virginia’s Right-to-Work law “right to work for less.”
- The governor has said LeBlanc is in a position to “make the biggest mark of anywhere in
state government.”
- Jean Bankos, former president of the VEA, is Senior Advisor to the Governor for
Educational Projects. The NEA has recently advocated for a federal minimum wage for
all teachers.
- Delacey Skinner, the communications director for the governor, worked for George
Soros’ 527 group, America Coming Together (ACT) - a partner with the Change to Win
and AFL-CIO coalition to raise the minimum wage.
- Maurice Henderson, the governor’s deputy press secretary, was an employee of the
United Steelworkers of America and ACT.
Labor Money in Virginia
In his 2005 campaign for governor, Tim Kaine received more than $1.4 million from organized
labor. Including contributions to his inaugural committee, Governor Kaine received more than $1.55 million in union money. This is far and away the largest amount of money ever spent by labor unions in a Virginia statewide election. To put this in perspective, Governor Kaine received more than 10 times the amount of money than the previous governor received.
Contrary to what some union officials contend, raising the minimum wage does not reduce
poverty rates. A recent study by Ohio University examined the correlation between a raise in
entry-level wages and poverty rates. The economists found that there was no reduction in
poverty even when broken down by gender, age, ethnicity and race. In fact, in some categories, “negative employment effects” actually increased poverty.xv Allowing the free market to work makes sense. Employers pay their employees what the markets will bear - giving them the flexibility and freedom to choose how to compensate their employees. With Virginia’s unemployment rate holding steady at 3.3%xvi, keeping the minimum wage at its current level is the right choice for keeping our economy vibrant and productive.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Right-to-Work laws attract new businesses to states, providing good-paying jobs and a high
quality of life. “Hundreds of site-searching companies and their consultants eliminate non-
Right-to-Work states from the beginning,” says southern business owner and author Joe
Hollingsworth. Specifically, Right-to-Work states expand a state’s manufacturing sector. From 1977-2001 Right-to-Work states gained more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. On the other hand, compulsory union states lost nearly 2,000,000 jobs in this same time period.xxii Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that 637,000 Americans between 21 and 30 years old have relocated from forced union states to Right-to-Work states since 2000.xxiii Between 1990 and 2001, Right-to-Work states have had a population growth of almost 8 percent higher than non-Right-to-Work states.xxiv
Why are Union bosses opposed to Right-to-Work?
For large labor organizations, worker dues are the sole sustaining force that keeps them
powerful. If workers are not compelled to contribute a portion of their paycheck to the union,
then the unions lose money and relevance. When states do not have Right-to-Work protection, a monopoly exists; leaving employees with no choice but to pay up. If unions are receiving compulsory income from workers who only join because they do not wish to be fired, the union’s power is inflated and, some argue, that the individual worker’s constitutional right to freely associate has been abridged. By forcing those who otherwise would not join the union to join, they collect additional revenue and exert inflated political power.
8 comments:
wow- this is some good stuff. More reasons to distrust Kaine.
Your research is right on! Keep telling it like it is ... maybe the nay-sayers will begin to listen.
Observer, you are chanting the same old liberal rant. Perhaps you need to read Rightside's post again and get your head out of the sand.
We've discussed this issue before on this site but you missed it so I doubt any of us want to rehash all the facts for you.
Minimum wage was meant for those just starting out in the labor market. To make more money we better ourselves by education or experience. It is difficult to find anyone making minimum wage in the Shenandoah Valley; they make way over that amount.
A strong work ethic is sadly lacking in many in this country. Spare me your "concern" because, in reality, all you do is hinder those people and hold them back. You are enabling them to stay poor and uneducated. You're giving them a "hand-out" not a "hand up."
Thank you both for some good posts. Observer provided some good information and I have seen it several times posted by others responding to my main question, that still has not been answered.
How will increasing the minimum wage increase incentive for people to learn\improve their skills?
Observer said:"Could it be that raising the minimum wage would also bump up the wages of those who make slightly more, costing your business friends a bit more in wages?"
I do not have a problem of moving the minimum wage up at all for it will not change labor budgets that much for most start at over $7+ an hour already. The problem I have is giving people more money for no increased productivity or skills learned. To give them a "Feel Good" raise will not provide any incentive at all to improve themselves... Can you see that?
Yes it is a "cost of living increase" but where are the people working for $5.15 an hour now and what are their job skills? I have asked that question several times and what I get are 60,000 people are out there working at minimum wage but yet nobody can give me a name, location, or what they are doing. Are they retired and working at the local park in a part time job taking tickets at the train ride? Are they working a job just to keep busy and instead of volunteering they are paid $5.15 to help cover gas, etc? Or are they the head of household, have 4 children at home, have a house mortgage, car payment, etc. and are working for just $5.15 an hour? And if they are what are their job skills and why are they "Stuck" at that pay scale? Show me a person working at $5.15 an hour, as of yet nobody has done that...
The local Augusta County Democratic Party has picked up on this topic and do NOT have an answer to my question. They only claim that I am part of the evil Republican party and that we care more about business then the people. Tell that to the 5 men that work for me at my job and ask them why do I push them hard on job training and in fact take extra time to train my next in line to take my position in my area or another. I take that effort to train them to improve them and to show them that with training and effort they can\will move on and improve but you should have to earn that...
Now what about Big Labor coming into the picture and "In Bed" with Kaine? Why did he take so much more contribustions then even Warner? How about all of the Big Labor people he has appointed into his administration?
See my point?
Thanks,
Have been to that site for info and has been quoted several times on Rightside by several people posting.
Still looking for the info on those who are making $5.15 an hour and what job skills they have. If they are trying to support the family of four as many have said let me know and I can get that person a Job at WalMart starting $7.00 an hour just standing at the front door and greeting people...
So who and how many in Augusta at $5.15 an hour? What are their job skills?
There are many jobs out there starting at over $7.00 an hour with little or no skills required. They train you once you are there and that is what the market bears. That is why the free market is by far the best system and that has been proven.The people crying for the minimum wage increase are Democrats and looking to get the votes of those who think they will get something for free and all they have to do is vote for democrat party. Anybody can see that.They just wont admit it......
But yet you have still avoided the issue of how raising the wage will increase incentive to learn better skills and improve the worker.
I have admitted that to raise the minwage for cost of living would be good for little make minwage starting now. You still have not shown me that person working for $5.15 and what skills they have...
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