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L.A. Unions Cool With Their Members Being Paid Starvation Wages

AP
May 27, 2015

I'm old enough to remember when unions were denouncing wages under $15 as sub-survival rates. For instance, check out how this union-backed astroturf group describes an hourly wage under $15:

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My takeaway from this is that paying someone less than $15 means that you're not paying them enough to survive. Wow! Strong words! Strong words that don't apply to members of unions, apparently:

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Huh. I guess the feeling of brotherhood that comes with forking over a percentage of your pay to a massive bureaucracy beats putting food in your belly! Rusty Hicks, pictured above, explains:

"With a collective bargaining agreement, a business owner and the employees negotiate an agreement that works for them both. The agreement allows each party to prioritize what is important to them," Hicks said in a statement. "This provision gives the parties the option, the freedom, to negotiate that agreement. And that is a good thing."

So, to be entirely clear here: It's good when a union can negotiate a level of pay below the state-mandated minimum, but it's bad when an individual has "the option, the freedom, to negotiate that agreement."

I see.

Allow me to put on my cynic's hat and suggest that the unions may have had an ulterior motive for pushing for a $15 wage and then pressuring their bought-and-paid-for legislators to add a carveout exempting them. Allow me to suggest that this was all a scam to ease in their effort to unionize fast food outlets. Allow me to suggest that, after securing this exemption, they will go to franchisees and say, "Hey. Psst. Guess what, guy? I can secure you a lower wage for your workers. All you have to do is help me organize your store. We get more members (and, thus, more dues). You get to pay them a lower wage. Win-win, amirite?"

Maybe I'm wrong! Who can say? But I do find it very interesting that the union's commitment to a $15 hourly wage is less than total.

Published under: Minimum Wage