US Labor Secretary Perez: "nobody who works a 40-hour week should have to live in poverty"

[alp227]

Excerpts from the Washington Post's interview with the new Labor Sec. Thomas Perez, published in Sunday's Post:

Q: You’ve been pushing for a higher minimum wage, but some economists say there are winners and losers to that approach.

A: The living-wage strikes that we’ve seen recently and the March on Washington really stand for the proposition that nobody who works a 40-hour week should have to live in poverty. Time and time again, after the minimum wage has been raised, those sky-is-falling predictions have been disproved.

I categorically reject this notion that you have to have a false choice — that the only way to create jobs in America is to create low-wage jobs with little or no benefits. It’s not that you either create low-wage jobs with no benefits or create no jobs at all.

We’ve seen instances where unions and employers and workers have come together around a common vision of a workplace in which everybody can succeed and shareholders can get an excellent return on their investment.

Q: Union numbers have been declining. Why do you think that’s happening, and what do you think you should do about the trend?

A: I think what we have to see, and what we are seeing, is an acute understanding within the labor movement that we have to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. It’s not us versus them, labor versus management. We’re all in this together and our collective job is to figure out how we bring jobs back to the United States and how we expand access to opportunities to everyone, working in partnership.

I’ve been remarkably impressed with the (job-training) partnerships I’ve observed in a number of cities between unions and businesses. In Nevada, I traveled to the Culinary Academy, which is a joint venture between the largest employers in Nevada and labor unions. I watched as people were being trained for jobs that pay a living wage. If you’re a housekeeper in a hotel in Nevada, you’re getting a living wage and health benefits. I saw a number of housekeepers who wanted to be cooks, and they were in training programs.

In New York City, the partnership between (the Service Employees International Union) and the health-care industry — I think it’s helping the health-care industry deliver better-quality health care, and it’s helping workers get access to living-wage jobs and benefit from the dignity of work. I’m bullish about the future.

[Safetykitten]

1. "We’re all in this together"...bite me Perez.

[Kingofalldems]

2. What?

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Oh the MacCorps are two steps ahead, the MacJobs are all < 40 hrs/wk. NT.

[indepat]

4. Then Mr. Secretary, please push for a minimum wage at least equal to Australia's

[forestpath]

5. Are hotel housekeepers in NV really getting a living wage?

I find that very, very hard to believe.

[Cerridwen]

8. Culinary Union; somewhat. Thought still not enough.

It would depend if they're in a union house or a non-union house, of course.

I don't consider these "living wages" but perhaps relatively speaking, as in relative to other parts of the US, they may be nominally better.

This was 2011:

http://www.dsa.vt.edu/assets/doc/salarypayscale.pdf

This was way back in 2004: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/03/us/organized-local-226-the-culinary-makes-las-vegas-the-land-of-the-living-wage.html

Culinary Union benefits used to be great. I can't speak to now. Though they are better than non-union houses as a rule.

[forestpath]

9. Thanks. Yeah, I don't consider them living wages either, but then I live in the DC area.

But I really don't consider anything under at least $15.00/hr a living wage anywhere.

[Cerridwen]

11. The truly sad thing is that by comparison to other parts

of the US, they're actually good wages and benefits.

I don't think they've changed much since the '70s.

The cost of living isn't as high here in NV, nor Las Vegas, as you have in the DC area. Even at that, those wages are fairly low for the cost of living here.

The union-busters and republican/neo-con/tea-baggers have made their presence felt here, too. I lose karma points every day I hope kenny quinn is writhing in hell for his part in this and that steve wynn is enjoying his inability to see his beloved and tax-free art.

Some days I walk my talk and other days I'm vindictive against those who have destroyed my home.

[forestpath]

16. I wish I did believe in hell so I could picture everyone who hurts the vulnerable

writhing in it. And people who spout misleading bullshit about "living wages" from the comfort of their cushy government jobs in which they conspire with employee-abusing corporations would earn a special place in it too.

I wouldn't spit on any of them if they were on fire, though!

[8 track mind]

17. from what i understand in Las Vegas,

the majority of casino positions are union. the wages are not the best, but the benefits are pretty good

[SunSeeker]

6. I understand him to be referring to anyone working 40 hours, including people holding down 2 jobs...

So long as your part time jobs total 40 hours or more, you are a full time employee. And no one working 40 hours a week should have to be on welfare. No one. A $15/hr minimum wage must apply to all workers. ALL of them. Part time, full time, 18 years old, 65 years old. All workers.

[forestpath]

10. +1000

[gopiscrap]

7. agreed so do somethinbg the fuck about it!

[Cerridwen]

12. Sounds like he is. He was appointed July 18th of this year.

On my calendar it's September 2nd. What's the date on your calendar where you are?

[Cha]

20. He's implementing his magic wand. Right fucking now.

[meow2u3]

13. Try telling that to those Republicans

They seem to think the less they can get away with paying you, the better. Then they turn around and call the working poor lazy and shiftless because they can't make ends meet.

[meow2u3]

14. Linky, please

BTW,

[alp227]

15. FIXED nt

[MotherPetrie]

18. NOT impressed. He falls for the same old lying CEO bullshit.

Quote from the interview: "I’ve traveled the country in my short time here on the job, talking to CEOs. The thing I hear most frequently from CEOs is: “I’m prepared to expand my workforce. I want to hire. One of my biggest challenges is I’m not seeing enough people with the right skills.”

Either falls for it -- or just parrots it hoping no one will call him on the bullshit.

Maybe CEO's wouldn't have to, you know, HIRE more employees, if they would fucking stop laying off the ones they already have and forcing the remaining employees to work their asses off to pick up the slack, accept lower pay for working harder, and fear every second that their jobs will be next on the chopping block as their job either gets eliminated or shipped to the third world.

[Rain Mcloud]

19. I see an America with a living wage

where the demand for new cars is so great that the car makers and suppliers will have to hire more people to meet the demand.
People might actually save up enough to buy a home.
The demand for Beef and even(dare I say it)healthy foods reviving small farms and ranches instead of the pre-packaged garbage in the frozen food cases.
Photovoltaic on the roof tops of houses.
Picket fences.
Bunting.
No more Halitosis being able to afford dental insurance.

My God,it would be a revolution!
No wonder the Republicans are against it,they would never hold office again profiting as they do off the War On The Poor.