91–96 of 96 posts
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You're right. Let's stick to the current system of exploiting the poor.
maybe to those poor the current system was the best available way of making money? if it wasn't, surely they would find something better. have you asked them whether they were actually exploited or did you just assume?
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maybe to those poor the current system was the best available way of making money? if it wasn't, surely they would find something better. have you asked them whether they were actually exploited or did you just assume?
Find something better? Are you one of those people who wonder why the oppressed don't "just do something about it"? I suppose we could organise a revolution. You go first.
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I don't entirely disagree but I also suspect that many Americans would be shocked by the cost of food if workers were paid higher wages (especially if it was done for everyone who touches your food as it travels from the farm to the table) and that most farmers would prefer a phased approach to reform so that crops aren't rotting in the fields.
> many Americans would be shocked by the cost of food if workers were paid higher wages How do you explain why its so much cheaper to buy quality food in European countries? When I am in France or Austria, quality butter, eggs, fresh egg pasta, salami, and milk are all very inexpensive. Quality cultured butter in the US is especially expensive. (Mache in the US is also extremely expensive compared to France but that'…
If you buy products that normal Americans do not wish to buy, they will of course be expensive. I think your definition of "quality" is something like "as sold in Europe" or possibly "organic".
Stores seek to offer both affordable products and aspirational products. If there is no legitimate way to offer a better product than the standard one, some nonsense will be created. You'll get a fancy wrapper, arbitrary restrictions on how the product is made, and so on.
For this reason, you can get specially marked non-GMO salt. It's salt. Of course it doesn't contain genetically modified organisms! You are still welcome to pay extra for it.
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> many Americans would be shocked by the cost of food if workers were paid higher wages How do you explain why its so much cheaper to buy quality food in European countries? When I am in France or Austria, quality butter, eggs, fresh egg pasta, salami, and milk are all very inexpensive. Quality cultured butter in the US is especially expensive. (Mache in the US is also extremely expensive compared to France but that'…
I looked up cultured butter to see what it is. Eeew. Cultured butter is butter that has a strep infection. If you buy products that normal Americans do not wish to buy, they will of course be expensive. I think your definition of "quality" is something like "as sold in Europe" or possibly "organic". Stores seek to offer both affordable products and aspirational products. If there is no legitimate way to offer a bette…
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/us/farmers-strain-to-hire-... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/despite-economy-americans-dont-... Most americans are unwilling to work on farms, even at the heights of the recent recession.
"Most americans are unwilling to work on farms..." at the wages offered by farm owners!!! This is very similar to arguments trotted out in support of shitty H1B jobs. You want workers for your jobs? Increase the wages. Increased wages will make you raise the prices for your customers? Do so, or find the efficiencies in your business. Increased wages might drive consumers to produce grown in foreign countries? Have ap…
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Last time I did this (estimating only the price on the actual farm labor though), I figured out that paying cabbage or lettuce-pickers $20 per hour would result in the farmer paying less than 5 cents more per head, on something that retails in the grocery store for $2.50 or more. Even if you multiply the cost by 5 to cover markup as it goes through the chain (of distribution), you have... $2.50 going to $2.75, or ten…
How in the world did you get your numbers? Can I see some math please? For full disclosure: I've worked about 15 years in hospitality industry and have quite a few work acquaintances in supply chain, as well as chefs and restauranteurs. Most folks that are commenting here are living in la-la land with some of the absolutely absurd math and opinion that do not tie into reality. Lets get some baselines going before I u…
Variables: original cost of labor $8/hour, new cost $20/hour.
As well, trucking is a big industry and I haven't considered paying the truckers more, either.
Look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxbJVqfIK1U and time the total handling time of 1 head of iceberg lettuce (the round head kind).
Worst case scenario: each head is handled total for about 15 seconds, from cutting or pulling it off its stalk on the ground, quickly removing loose leaves, placing in bag, then sealing the bag and putting into boxes placed on skids.
Thus we have (rounding up, allowing for breaks, turns etc.) 20 seconds per head, 3 per minute, 180 per hour.
$8 / 180 = 4.4 cents of labor per head. $20 / 180 = 11.11
OK, I am off in what I remember ... about 7 extra cents per head of lettuce vs. my remembered 5 cents.