FOX Business: Elaine Chao wishes Pete Buttigieg ‘good luck’ with solving rail strike

 

[VIDEO] I've been wondering why there hasn't been much Amtrak traffic on the webcam at Ft. Madison, Iowa in recent days. There is a looming railroad strike coming. And most of Amtrak's long distance routes are over freight railways. For that matter this affects suburban commuters in Chicago because Metra also mostly runs over the freight railways....

Another mess, I could see this affecting the supply chain.

OH, I forgot to add. Considering the state of our political leadership, I'm not very sure they're able to solve the issues of railroad labor.

Bloomberg: Inflation has turned $15/hr wages into a setback

 I wish I had seen this article a while back. Bloomberg:

The typical inflation rate is about 2%; this year, it’s been more like 5%. Workers who don’t know this, or who are slow to perceive the rise in prices they pay for goods like cars and groceries, won’t realize this, and will be happy with their unusually large raises. But companies, whose accountants and managers certainly know the true inflation rate, will also be happy, because they know they’re not actually paying more for labor.

That information asymmetry between workers and employers may be exactly what keeps wages from rising faster than inflation. If workers take a year to realize how much prices have gone up, they may be satisfied with the raises they got during the time of high inflation — even if that inflation ultimately turns out to be transitory. By then, it might be too late to negotiate for a real, inflation-adjusted raise. Many people suffer from what economists call “money illusion” — they tend to think of their income and wealth in pure dollars, instead of in terms of its real purchasing power, at least in the short term. Money illusion could in turn be a source of what economists call upward sticky nominal wages — the tendency of wages not to rise too fast in dollar terms, even when there’s a burst of inflation.

In other words, even if all the aforementioned economic factors driving up wages are very real, price rises could be happening independently of wage growth and could be eating up all the gains because wages simply don’t respond to inflation very quickly. By allowing prices to rise at a rapid clip just when workers are finally getting a bit of bargaining power, the U.S. might be wasting a golden opportunity to increase living standards.

Implications:

Eventually, people will realize that prices went up, and that their raises were illusory. At that point they will start getting mad. This is what happened in the 1970s, when a decade of high inflation coincided with — and possibly caused — real wage losses for the average American worker. Surveys later showed that the reason people didn’t like inflation was precisely that they thought their wages couldn’t keep up.

Economics is a weak subject of mine your wages go up but not enough to keep up with the prices of groceries and fuel. And we're in a time of weak economic growth.

Black workers in Cali hard hit hard due to pandemic

 From the Sacramento Bee:

A new report from the nonpartisan California Policy Lab, obtained by McClatchy Wednesday, illustrates dramatically how Black workers have been hit unusually hard by the coronavirus crisis.

“Black workers are less likely to work in the industries which have weathered the COVID-19 crisis well, and more likely to work in the sectors that COVID has wreaked havoc,” said Till von Wachter, the Lab’s faculty director.

...

The Economic Policy Institute, a progressive research firm, studied black unemployment during the pandemic. There are three main groups of workers in the COVID-19 economy, said a report from Elise Gould, a senior economist, and Valerie Wilson, director of the institute’s program on race, ethnicity and the economy.

One group of people has lost their jobs and faces economic insecurity. Another involve people classified as essential workers and face health insecurity as a result. The third can continue working from the safety of their homes.

“Unfortunately, black workers are less likely to be found in the last group,” the researchers found.

Nationwide, Black workers make up over 12% of the labor force, but make up less than 9% of workers in the computer and mathematical occupations, areas where they could likely move to remote work,, and just above 8% of management occupations - one of the sectors most insulated from the crisis.

Blacks have also suffered from the coronavirus at higher rates than whites, so “it’s not unexpected that the (unemployment) numbers are staggering,” said Michael Graetz, a former Treasury Department official and author of The Wolf at the Door: The Menace of Economic Insecurity and How to Fight It.

The Lab found another source of gloom: People are not as optimistic that they can return to their jobs.

h/t Newsalert 

Black working class males

This article from the Christian Science Monitor I found on Tuesday over at Instapundit makes a case of how Black working class males can relate to the White working class males that voted strongly for Trump last month. The issues are similar if not much worse for the Black working class.

In the same breath there was mention of a local employment agency in the NY Times and client companies being sued for discrimination. The client companies who needed workers preferred hispanics to Blacks with the excuse for this being Blacks didn't want to do the work, however, the preferred workers according to the article were illegal and may not be as willing to stand up for themselves. Or more accurately, "They are so scared to raise their voice and say, ‘Hey, this is not fair.’"

This is old news in fact as this past summer the Capitol Fax blog posted about this.

Do non-citizen workers have rights to compensation and a non-hostile work environment?

So this article published in an Indiana paper & written by a local blogger Gregory Tejada  raised some good questions. I'm no lawyer let alone an immigration expert but it something worth exploring and hoping there is an update to this:

Griffith police Commander Keith Martin said Wednesday that the 45-year-old Griffith man faces a felony charge of intimidation and a misdemeanor charge of battery for an incident that occurred Monday at the Griffith Gyros & More, 105 N. Broad St.

Martin said police received a call at about 7 p.m. claiming a disturbance at the restaurant. When officers arrived, they found employee Jose Martinez, who lives in Calumet City, Ill., with marks on his face and arm.

"It was obvious he had been hit," Martin said.

Martin and Jose Bustos, manager of the East Chicago-based Immigration Support and Assistance Center, both said that the incident occurred when Martinez was working Monday night and called his boss to complain about how busy it was.

Martinez told the Post-Tribune that he told the manager Monday he would quit his job immediately if help did not arrive to deal with an onslaught of customers.

Police said the manager then came to the restaurant and began yelling at Martinez for making a threat to quit, then began hitting him with a clenched fist.

Martinez said the man made threats to him during the fight concerning his immigration status, indicating he had no right to walk off a job. Martin said witnesses confirmed threats were made, but could not say what those threats were. Martinez admitted he is not a U.S. citizen, Martin said.

Martinez said the manager threatened to shoot him. "I thought I could get killed," he said.

Where do I begin? Well another thing from this article at least is his now former employer wants to withhold wages.

OK so it appears he's in a hostile work environment a boss who will threaten him and assault him. Not only that will make reference to his immigration/citizenship status just to threaten him.

It makes me wonder if this boss wasn't above the boards with his business and employees. Perhaps he knew what he was doing when he first hired people. Who knows?

Count me in as one of those people who want better controls over who enters this country and their paths to citizenship. What I see here, there is so much wrong with this picture my hope is Martinez finds a lawyer who'll take this fight to his former boss. Whether an immigrant or not no one deserves this treatment!

A CEO raised his company's minimum wage to $70,000 a year, and some employees quit because of it

Well, I suppose he meant well and is paying the price for it. At the same time I'd rather a business decides to raise wages voluntarily than to just depend on government to raise the minimum wage.

The New York Times reports that two of Gravity Payments' "most valued" members have left the company, "spurred in part by their view that it was unfair to double the pay of some new hires while the longest-serving staff members got small or no raises."

Maisey McMaster — once a big supporter of the plan — is one of the employees that quit. McMaster, 26, joined the company five years ago, eventually working her way up to financial manager. She put in long hours that "left little time for her husband and extended family," The Times says, but she loved the "special culture" of the place.

But while she was initially on board, helping to calculate whether the company could afford to raise salaries so drastically (the plan is a minimum of $70,000 over the course of three years), McMaster later began to have doubts.

"He gave raises to people who have the least skills and are the least equipped to do the job, and the ones who were taking on the most didn’t get much of a bump," she told The Times. A fairer plan, she told the paper, would give newer employees smaller increases, along with the chance to earn a more substantial raise with more experience.

Probably a small part of the story but an important one. Another part of this story indicated that his salary was public because he worked at this company and was concerned he may not be able to move on. He probably was concerned about another company's salary expectations.

Either way, this is the action I could support more than increasing the minimum wage which has been popular around the country. But of both we're seeing some effects of attempting to address "income inequality".

Do you offer a blanket raise voluntarily to everyone in a company? Does a business wait for the minimum wage to go up? And at that what effects would either have for either the business or the labor force itself?

UPDATE 12:08 PM - I forgot to note that the owner of this company Dan Price reportedly has to resort to renting out his home to meet payroll.

Thought Catalog: 5 Ways To Make Every Job A Stepping Stone

Guess what? I seem to have been attracting interest in these stepping stone jobs since I've graduated from Morehouse in 2009. Either way during this period, I've ran into people who never learned these 5 ways. They're very important and something to keep in mind for myself as well.

Besides if only I've learned this lesson myself in the past 5 years. Would I be better off now?

Minimum wage in Chicago is now $10/hr

Before this past mayoral election the city council passed a minimum wage ordinance which mandates an increase by 2019 to $13/hour. Today minimum wage went up to $10/hr...

If I had stayed at one of my last jobs I'd have made it to $10, but thankfully I got a bit of a headstart and exceeded it by changing jobs. Still my feelings are mixed as to whether this incremental increase of the minimum wage in Chicago is truly a good idea.

It kind of sucks that there are some jobs as the one I once held refused to raise wages until a government decided to raise the minimum. It could be bad business but I've never had to be concerned with payroll!

The "streak" era - how do you know you got the job?

I've written a post about this once: how does one know when they got the job? It is because someone said you got the job? Do you have to read between the lines and listen to what the interviewers are saying?

That's what I try to do, often I can get the feel for the interview to see where it goes. In all the other times in getting hired either the interviewers wanted to get my information down immediately to start the processing paperwork or they told me I got it anyway.

In one case I couldn't tell until I got an e-mail although years later I interviewed at this same place and got an e-mail saying that I didn't get it. In another case they had me fill out paperwork for a background check and got an e-mail letting know where to go for new hire paperwork.

You never really know until you got the phone call or e-mail stating that you got the job. That was the case with my recent job offer I got a phone call in that case.

I suppose you can never truly know. My feeling with a lot of my interviews were that they went great but still didn't result in a job offer. It's often to my surprise, but then the most pleasant of all surprises is when they make you a job offer.

Ask A Manager: Hate Your Job?

How many of us are in this situation and looking for an escape plan. Here are some steps to follow from the blogger at Ask A Manager who writes this piece at US News.

Never quit a job until you've found another one...

There have been times I wish it was this simple. They say it's easier to find a job if you already have a job. In my case I have a job, but the new job so far has continued to elude me. This column is for those of us who play it safe, and yes it is best to line something up before you quit a job.

It's either that or go back to school full-time. ;)

Ask A Manager: how should students pick a college major?

When I was in school, if only someone could've counseled me on what I should've studied. And at that what I should've studied to set myself up for success in the long run. Well it's that and it's something that I should've sought for myself.

If only young people were reading this blog. Some are smart enough to do what I wish I did. And then you had some like me - while I was still in high school - who are still trying to figure that out. Indeed you need not figure it out in high school lots of students have changed majors, however, the sooner you figure it out the sooner you're done with college.

I wrote this comment in the post at Ask A Manager:

I have no regret about majoring in political science. Before I finally got a BA I also attended a community college and I should’ve taken some business classes although it likely would’ve affected what I’d have majored in before I transferred to a university. I didn’t entirely plan at all what I would do when I graduate, but sometimes I wish I had hit the ground running as far as jobs before I crossed that stage. Perhaps I’d be in a better position today.

Also the classes I took were great, but as far as my political science curriculum I wished there were more “governing” classes. Perhaps classes that would translate into a job in the real world and not more or less academic courses.

What I've had to learn is that college is too expensive these days to flip, flop, and flounder. Have a game plan and things will come up so make some adjustments. Of course while you're in school get some work experience especially internships in the field of your choice.

To be honest I was up for some internships but either the grades weren't right or there were some complications to ensure that it was good for college credit. Just some missed opportunities.

The main thing is, college is what you make of it if it's what you want to do. Get what you will out of it, especially learning and certainly preparing you for a career in the field of your choice.

Also, part of me still wouldn't mind going back to school and get a master's. Not sure in what yet, but when I first filed papers to take a major of political science one thing I certainly entertained doing was teach. Still wouldn't mind although I recognize that a college professor doesn't just teach. Of course that still depends on the school.

Megan McArdle: Part-Time Workers Deserve the Shift, Not the Shaft

To start this piece from Bloomberg's Megan McArdle isn't dismissive of low-wage retail jobs. Indeed the argument here is that right now it's difficult to find a full-time job to make a decent income. Another argument is mandating how much a business should pay their employees could cause more harm than good.

Conclusion: "Ultimately, this comes back to the weak job market. As long as the demand for low-skilled labor significantly lags the supply, workers will continue to struggle. Unfortunately, legislators can’t mandate a strong labor market. So we’re apt to end up mandating more labor market rigidity instead."

Via Instapundit!

These jobs are going away...

According to this article. It includes newspaper reporters, mail carriers, print workers, and even travel agents. I don't understand why farmers and flight attendants are going away. I would imagine they're always necessary in some capacity, food isn't going to grow and care for itself and passengers on a flight need attention the pilots can't get to them. Hopefully all these predictions won't come to fruition.

So the Mayor of Chicago backs a higher minimum wage

While I found several articles on this issue, I decided to watch this video from our local ABC affiliate. I posted my own footage for a Fight for 15 rally last year, this group wants minimum wage to go up $15/hour.

And while Mayor Emanuel may just be doing this politically, I don't understand why getting minimum wage up to $13 as recommended is still not enough for Fight for 15. Well they are advocates who want what they want so they're doing their jobs I suppose. Then again it only opens up another argument.

If $8.25/hr isn't enough at least in this state or $7.25 isn't enough nationally, what is enough? What would be satisfactory for mimimum wage workers or at least those who want to make more money.

Whether you raise the price floor to $13, $15, or even $100 an hour nothing will change the fact that we're talking about starter jobs. These jobs will help you gain work experience and you learn skills that should last you a lifetime. And hopefully you work hard and you will get raises or even a promotion.

Although I also understand where some of this comes from. Perhaps a lot of these minimum wage workers some of whom maybe active in Fight for 15 are working dead end jobs and haven't been able to make a move because of the job market.

You know raising the minimum wage may be the right track but because businesses care about making money this may be the wrong move.

Related articles

• Emanuel panel recommends raising minimum wage to $13 - Sun-Times
• Emanuel task force: Raise Chicago minimum wage to $13 by 2018 - Chicago Tribune
• Emanuel backs $13-an-hour minimum wage - Greg Hinz Crain's
• Panel says Chicago minimum wage should be $13 - AP

 

Still looking; still interviewing

I've been out here in the work world for many years. I've never ran into the weird luck as I had in recent years. Perhaps it's me, perhaps it's the weak economy. I wish I knew what it was.

I'm greatful that this search is going on while currently employed. Years ago with no job, money was an issue while I continued looking.

Many of my posts analyzed some aspects of my job hunt. Perhaps I could answer some questions differently and that was something explored in an earlier post. Perhaps I could dress more as a job hunter.

I also recognize that you can't get into the head of your interviewer. You never know what expectations that person will have when you come in for the interview. All you can do is stick with the basics of what you're expected to do before you get to the interview and of course following the interview. Hopefully that's enough to get the job.

I also wrote that sometimes you can get a feel for the interview. You can tell your chances if you notice the reaction of the interviewer. Sometimes you might realize that a response wasn't what they were looking for. Perhaps your questions during the course of the interview weren't focused on the job. Sometimes the interviewers were just plain neutral and you didn't get a feel from them one way or another.

Well, it was written here before that the only feedback you get from employers is that you didn't get the job. The worse part is you have little idea about what their actual decision was and why. They have to protect themselves too although sometimes it may be as simple as someone else beat you.

Got to keep a good head in spite of these reversals, however, it just shows how difficult the job market is right now.

Check out how much you could get paid at Walmart!!!

 

Found this photo via Newsalert. For those who insisted Walmart doesn't pay their workers enough money - as they did here in Chicago a few years ago when the retailer wanted to expand here - this image should elicit one question in your mind. What was those naysayers talking about? In any event here's the background to this now hiring sign taken in the city of Williston, North Dakota.

Ask a Manager: How do I know if I did well in an interview?

Question #2 over at Ask a Manager. A person wants to know how they know if they did well in an interview. Of course the blogger's answer over there is there no way to truly know and that if you think you did well you may still not get the job or you might do bad and still get the job. It's best to read her answer to that question.

I did use to have an easy answer to this question. Again I've had interviews such as this one I wrote about earlier this year where I thought the interview went great but still didn't get the job. Although in that case it was still a dodged bullet.

Still, I think it's easy to gauge from interviewers whether or not they like you. Unfortunately it's still hard to say whether or not they'll offer you the job. It seems in some of the comments over at Ask a Manager you may get an offer and the employer could always change their mind.

These days, however, only speaking from my experience it seems I'm wary of the statement that they're continuing to interview other candidates. Now again this probably isn't something you should consider too much of because it's only fair if there are other candidates lined up. Besides the odds may still be in your favor or it may not.

BTW, for additional reading another link was offered with Ask a Manager's response. If you can't help but consider your chances for getting the job this post should help you keep things in perspective. One answer to that is even if you're sure you got the job continue applying until someone gives you a solid job offer.

Increasing the minimum wage?

Since recently this has become something of an job hunting blog, I found this article via Newsalert quite interesting last night. At least here in Chicago there is a push by Chicago Aldermen to raise the minimum wage to at least $15/hour.

It almost reminds me of the fight to keep Walmart out of Chicago in the last decade. A city alderman proposed legislation for a living wage for big-box employees. That proposal was at least $10/hour with $3/hour in benefits. But imagine that fight and how it ultimately went back then.

It seemed while the politics kept Walmart from expanding in Chicago, it seemed Walmart wasn't going to lose. Ultimately the city has 3 Walmart Supercenters in the city and quite a few smaller Walmart stores dotted around the city. Although to make this expansion happened involved compromise between Walmart, the city, and even the unions.

Now the whole $15/hour minimum wage issue isn't new, there have been rallies for such a proposal and I showed a video of such activity last year. I can feel the ones who feel like they should be paid more, in fact I ought to be out there protesting with them. At the same time my feelings on this issue is conflicting.

Minimum wage is not supposed to be livable, it's a starting point. If you work hard or gain more valuable skills or even get educated then you can get beyond the minimum wage. Just because you work a low-wage job doesn't mean you're going to stay there unless you have little ambition to move beyond that level. Or at least that should be the idea.

In some of the articles I've seen on this issue many of these workers complain about not getting raises. I can feel them on that if they're performed at a level that their management expects of them then there's no reason to not give a raise. I also recognize that employers will put their priorities in other areas that might be taking care of the employees might not be high on the list of priorities.

I linked to two articles in talking about this. In the first article we see how a business complains about the push raise the minimum wage. They start talking about how they may not have as many entry-level positions to be filled as they did before any wage hike. And also how this might mean higher prices for consumers because those wages have to come from somewhere.

On the other hand, you have one of the Alderman who want to see a $15/hour minimum wage saying that the economy has never been harmed by a minimum wage increase. I'm sure this is justified by the many people who are working at the minimum wage and the many responsibilities such as food, rent, and taking care of children.

Well, I wish I knew an answer to this. To me raising the minimum wage isn't an answer it's a band-aid and certainly a political one at that. Hopefully when this is considered here's hoping business won't be forced to raise prices or stop hiring because of it.

You Should Quit Your Soul-Sucking Miserable Job

Heh, I can sure relate to this article. If you don't like where you are perhaps it's time to let go of that job that isn't working out and go where you are appreciated. See what's out there and hopefully evaluate whether or not they're right for you. That is where I am now.