How White Castle Will Adjust to a $15 Minimum Wage in New York

Discussion in 'Current Events' started by Steve N, Apr 14, 2016.

  1. Steve N

    Steve N Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    And there you have it. By raising the minimum wage the cost of White Castle burgers could rise by as much as 50% in order for WC just to break even. But they won't break even. They'll probably lose business because of the higher costs which in turn means they'll need less employees.

    On the flip side, something I've always mentioned regarding the minimum wage, is that by raising it everyone above it moves closer to the bottom of the wage scale instead of moving up higher and farther away from it. And that means you worked for your raises and pay rate but now it won't buy as much because of higher prices due to the higher minimum wage demands.

    In the years to come, when White Castle burgers become unaffordable to minimum wage earners, will liberals call for it to be raised again? The answer to the minimum wage problem is to develop a skill where employers will pay more for it.

     
  2. Habana

    Habana Well-Known Member

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    The robots are coming. At this point the tech is there, they just need to change the production setup. Another 5 years fast food joints will be operating with a lot less staff.
     
  3. Cubed

    Cubed Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    While I think raising the MW that fast and that much is bad economics, there was one point that stood out to me in your quoted section.

    Considering the obesity problems plaguing the US, is this specific notion necessarily a bad thing?
     
  4. nra37922

    nra37922 Well-Known Member

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    Increase the minimum wage from $9 to $15 an hour by 2018 in New York City, So what about those folks who have worked themselves up from $9, or less, to 15+ an hour do they get screwed or is their pay going to go up to compensate?
     
  5. Steve N

    Steve N Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Maybe, maybe not. I'm wouldn't bet on a person who's craving WC to head to a grocery store and buy apples or carrots, they'll probably get a frozen pizza or maybe even frozen White Castle burgers. And when I say craving, I mean craving - have you ever had them? Dang, I grew up eating those burgers and because WC is open 24/7 we'd hit them up at 3:00am after hitting the bars all night. I wish they'd open some stores here in NM. There's something about them burgers that's just, well, awesome.
     
  6. The Mello Guy

    The Mello Guy Well-Known Member

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    Those burgers are disgusting
     
  7. Brewskier

    Brewskier Well-Known Member

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    Seems you've missed the point. I'm guessing intentionally.
     
  8. Darkbane

    Darkbane Banned

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    like I've said numerous times in other threads discussing this issue, the automated technology anyone can go see at the food shows will replace workers... cashiers will be the first to go, replaced by a self-serve kiosk or phone app to punch your order in... almost half a fast food restaurants business is through the drive-thru so they will struggle to replace them, or they will be the last ones to be replaced by automation (there are voice-recognition systems in place today at some giant fast food places for drive-thrus but they are sketchy as a result of regional dialects, thats improving every day though)... but being able to get rid of 2 employees taking orders means they can afford to cover the cost of 2 cooks or two drive-thru operators... the "burger making machines" might slowly work their way into places but I just don't see them coming down in price with a high enough quality for owners to take the leap of faith on them...

    but you WILL see menus redesigned also... people never discuss this issue... currently we have a "get it your way" society where you can order things with or without and all sorts of variations that require more "touch time" which means more labor... you will slowly see them work away from labor intensive items and get back to basics, or the new variants you see will have the difference cooked into the breading or skin of the item you order, rather than it being an optional topping someone has to spread on... which means more fake flavoring rather than real ingredients... much like many "smoked" meats are just smoke flavoring from chemicals...
     
  9. Pred

    Pred Well-Known Member

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    And the people being replaced by robots, with barely any skills, will complain there's no more work, then become life long welfare leeches....which eventually all leads back to WORKING people paying for it all....THANKS Democrats. You guys are so smart=)
     
  10. RedDirtWalker

    RedDirtWalker Well-Known Member

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    Here's the sad part about this whole article......I learned this in 8th grade economics class, but there are people with college educations that can't seem to grasp this basic concept.

    I wish you all the luck in the world educating people on 8th grade economics.

    For the record if anyone wants to know.......people making more than $15 won't get anything to make up the price increase. Been here, went through that and nothing.....
     
  11. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    I wonder if this will affect the price of their frozen burgers line at the grocery store? Because I think those are already mass produced by a machine...
     
  12. egotripp

    egotripp Banned

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    It does if they're Union . Union pay is indexed to minimum wage, generally speaking. That's why Unions are always FOR raising the wage, because it's a stealth pay increase for them as well.
     
  13. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It's a win-win for NYC "progressives". White Castle burgers will vanish like Super Big Gulps under the Bloomberg regime and more people will wind up dependent on the government. :woot:
     
  14. invaderzim

    invaderzim New Member

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    Are you suggesting WC burgers are fattening? But they're so small :rolleyes:
     
  15. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    And raising or even lowering the minimum wage will affect this how? Even if its not a money issue at all it is MUCH easier to deal with machines than people. (Trust me on this, it's from personal experience)

    How are they getting screwed? Are their wages going down? How much someone else makes is none of your (*)(*)(*)(*)ing business

    Disgustingly awesome, or awesomely disgusting. They ARE the very epitome of artery clogging diabetes croissants, that's true, but my GOD they're good when you're baked yourself.

    So the Republican solution, to have the taxpayers subsidize all businesses labor costs through public assistance, is better?

    Gee, maybe you should have taken 10th grade economics, or paid more attention. It would keep you from spouting Republican bull(*)(*)(*)(*) and making a fool of yourself.
    .
    Look, if you're running an aluminum smelting business and the cost of bauxite goes up do you get to just pass that cost on to your customers? NO, you don't, at least not if you want to STAY in business, because you know that at least ONE if not most, of your competitors WON'T raise their prices and your customer will abandon you for them. They will scramble and cut costs in some other areas. Too bad for you but good for all of us, as we get the most efficient production at the lowest price. Adam Smith's "invisible hand" does work pretty well sometimes.

    I mean, I really DO wish businesses worked that way; my daughter needs braces, that's easy, just charge my customers more, Hell, I want to tool around on the Cote d' Azur in a Veyreon and have all the college girls know me as Count Alexandro? no problem, my customers can't stop buying and have to pay my price no matter what, right?

    Labor costs are no different from any other costs. Rises in costs are part of doing business and the major way Capitalism shakes out the players who are running fat in favor of those who run lean. To those of us who are successful they are steppingstones, not obstacles. The losers become Republicans and spend all their time (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)ing that having to pay their employees a living wage put them out of business. As long as the minimum wage remains low the Republican leadership gets to do it's two favorite things, subsidize their friends with taxpayers money and blame it all on poor people
     
  16. petef56

    petef56 Well-Known Member

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    You like those frozen White Castle burgers?
    How do you warm them?

    My process is:

    1) Split open to remove the top and spray burger patty with water using one of those water spritzers.

    2) Place top back on and spray the top very lightly.

    3) Place burger on paper plate and cover with a small glass cup to keep the steam in.

    4) Microwave on full power about 30 seconds for 1 burger or until just warmed.
    I can't recall the exact number of seconds, so experiment until the burger center is warmed.

    By steaming them this way the come out very close to fresh cooked.
     
  17. Steve N

    Steve N Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    My kid has never had real WC burgers, just the frozen kind, I have had the real ones - they just aint the same.
     
  18. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    It's been so long since I last had one that I forget the way I cook them.

    I think I open one side of the plastic wrapper.

    I break the two burgers apart leaving them in the wrapper.

    I put it in the microwave for twice the amount of time at half power.
     
  19. JoeSixpack

    JoeSixpack New Member

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    Exactly. This isn't about helping workers it is a final drive to eliminate small business all together, unfortunately nobody is paying attention. The only way raising minimum wage can help without extracting the money from consumers is by pulling the money directly from the top wage earners, which ain't gonna happen. In any case it isn't about helping workers, it is the final phase of wiping out the small/family run businesses in favor of totally monopolized corporate control of any and all industries. Follow the money and it always leads to the wealthy through their sock puppet politicians pulling the strings for them.
     
  20. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    If it's nobody's business then why are Democrats making it their business?

    It's pretty obvious how rising prices screw people - maybe you should have taken 10th grade economics.

    That's the Democrat solution, and as usual they get other people to pay for their "altruism".
     
  21. way2convey

    way2convey Well-Known Member

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    I may be mistaken, but I think in CA the deal is that union workers (I think only public sector ones) will get an equivalent bump in pay. But whatever, the MW increase is nuts.
     
  22. Aphotic

    Aphotic Banned

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    Can't possibly cut the pay of their bloated management structure and exceedingly large CEO pay, though, could they? Can't fathom cutting the fat from corporate. Gotta lay off the peons so the fat cats can keep up their standard of living.

    You know, it's always therestufus asked to tighten our belts. Always therestufus asked to give pity to the poor, poor top earners.

    (*)(*)(*)(*) off.
     
  23. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    Well, maybe, but I thought you guys were CONSERVATIVES. Now you want to subsidize "small" businesses labor costs at the taxpayer's expense?

    I'm a social democrat and I don't believe in that. If you want to be in business you have to take some risks and scramble occasionally when times change, no matter how small you are. My uncle taught me that. He ran a small hardware store and was hit hard by Home Depot's lower prices and higher selection. He stayed in business mainly because offered better service, not because the government subsidized his labpr costs. (which weren't any anyway)
     
  24. JoeSixpack

    JoeSixpack New Member

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    I am a conservative, not a crony capitalist republican. He was lucky, most of those small hardware businesses went out of business paying for the tax breaks, grants, and preferential treatment their competition received from crooked politicians. He could have fared much better if government wasn't coddling those corporate mega stores under the bribes they obtained for their misuse of power/authority.
     
  25. vino909

    vino909 Well-Known Member

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    Great. It won't be long until my bucket of sliders will cost me a bucket of money. This entire idea is just downright stupid, based on jealousy and laziness of people who don't want to move past entry level skills.
     

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