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Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

theguardian.com

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Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#11

Post by dpark »

austenallred wrote: post #2

“Back in the day, [the wage] would have been a great number,” said Victor, “but because of Facebook moving in, everything is so expensive. I have to get payday loans sometimes. We barely make it.” They make a combined (rounded) $75,000/year. The real tragedy is that you can't afford to make it in the Bay Area on $75k/yr. I don't think that's something you can blame solely on Facebook.

Where is their $75k/year going? I totally get that the bay is ridiculously expensive, but they're living in his parents' garage. Are his parents charging him that much rent? I'd think someone living in their parents' garage and earning $75k would be doing pretty well in terms of money. (Setting aside the fact that living with your family in a 2-car garage would definitely suck.)

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#12

Post by [deleted] »

cabaalis wrote: post #4

Serious question, politics aside. How many jobs have been prior filled by teenagers or recent college graduates, that are no longer being filled by those groups for whatever reason? Is every single type of profession required to support a family of 4? Edit: 5, per the photo on the article

[deleted]

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#13

Post by princekolt »

cabaalis wrote: post #4

Serious question, politics aside. How many jobs have been prior filled by teenagers or recent college graduates, that are no longer being filled by those groups for whatever reason? Is every single type of profession required to support a family of 4? Edit: 5, per the photo on the article

It's the opposite. Middle aged people used to work in manufacturing, farming, and other industrial positions. Now that these industries have either died or gone automated, they have to join teenagers in service jobs as well. It is not a matter of how many children they have either because families used to be a lot more numerous in the past and it was not considered a problem at all.

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#16

Post by frgtpsswrdlame »

cabaalis wrote: post #4

Serious question, politics aside. How many jobs have been prior filled by teenagers or recent college graduates, that are no longer being filled by those groups for whatever reason? Is every single type of profession required to support a family of 4? Edit: 5, per the photo on the article

About half of minimum wage workers are at least 25 and three-quarters are at least 20.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/08/who-makes-mi...

>Is every single type of profession required to support a family of 4?

"A man must always live by his work, and his wages must at least be sufficient to maintain him. They must even upon most occasions be somewhat more, otherwise it would be impossible for him to bring up a family, and the race of such workmen could not last beyond the first generation."

"They who feed, clothe, and lodge the whole body of the people should have such a share of the produce of their own labor as to be themselves tolerably well fed, clothed, and lodged."

"Our merchants and master-manufacturers complain much of the bad effects of high wages in raising the price, and thereby lessening the sale of their goods both at home and abroad. They say nothing concerning the bad effects of high profits. They are silent with regard to the pernicious effects of their own gains. They complain only of those of other people."

All from Adam Smith.

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#17

Post by rm_-rf_slash »

princekolt wrote: post #10
austenallred wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even then. Housing prices are obviously related to Silicon Valley companies, but there's much to be said about housing policy as well.

The sad part is that California, being the largest state in the US, should be the last one to have this sort of housing problems...

It has been attempted, and the only thing to show for it is perhaps America's most over-hyped ghost town[0]. Few Californians or transplants to California want to live anywhere but near the coastline. California's climate is not as pleasant once you go further inland.

Also, the coastline is seismically active, and does not pose as a great location for Manhattan-style skyscrapers. (For that reason, I have always found San Francisco's skyline to be underwhelming).

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_City,_California

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#18

Post by Sleeep »

cabaalis wrote: post #4

Serious question, politics aside. How many jobs have been prior filled by teenagers or recent college graduates, that are no longer being filled by those groups for whatever reason? Is every single type of profession required to support a family of 4? Edit: 5, per the photo on the article

Aren't cafeteria workers stereotypically ("in the old days") older women? (AKA "lunch lady")

I used to work at cafeteria [non-school, for employees] part time and all the full timers were old woman who fit the stereotype to a T. The part timers were all teenagers though. The only people who see part timers where those who worked outside typical business hours.

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#19

Post by dpark »

thanksgiving wrote: post #9
denzil_correa wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't think that's something you can blame solely on Facebook. I don't think "Facebook" is solely blamed. Facebook is used as a canonical example of SV companies.

> They earn too much to qualify for state health care, but not enough to afford the health insurance offered by their employer. They frequently struggle to find enough money for basics like food and clothes for their children. Victor recently borrowed money from his mother to hold a birthday party for one of his daughters, and from a friend to pay for a dentist appointment. This one might be a little unpopular but it…

> If we can afford a program to feed the poor, we can afford a program to feed everyone

This isn't actually true, which is why means testing exists. If San Francisco gave every resident just $200/month for food, it would cost the city over $2 billion/year. And that's assuming only $200/month and no other assistance programs.

The only way to get rid of means testing while maintaining existing social services would be to drastically raise taxes.

Re: Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

#20

Post by dullgiulio »

thanksgiving wrote: post #9
denzil_correa wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't think that's something you can blame solely on Facebook. I don't think "Facebook" is solely blamed. Facebook is used as a canonical example of SV companies.

> They earn too much to qualify for state health care, but not enough to afford the health insurance offered by their employer. They frequently struggle to find enough money for basics like food and clothes for their children. Victor recently borrowed money from his mother to hold a birthday party for one of his daughters, and from a friend to pay for a dentist appointment. This one might be a little unpopular but it…

You are delusional or you have serious maths problems: if you can afford to give 100 to 10 people, you automatically afford to give 100 to 100,000 people? What logic is that?

Then you just say "the evil is means testing" but not why.

tl;dr you have no arguments to back up your slogan.

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