Yes, we do need a rebirth of labor unions.
A new study shows that the workers who make the least money have experienced the biggest decline in their take-home pay since the recession of 2008.
Despite steady gains in hiring, a falling unemployment rate and other signs of an improving economy, take-home pay for many American workers has effectively fallen since the economic recovery began in 2009, according to a new study by an advocacy group that is to be released on Thursday.
The declines were greatest for the lowest-paid workers in sectors where hiring has been strong — home health care, food preparation and retailing — even though wages were already below average to begin with in those service industries.
“Stagnant wages are a problem for everyone at this point, but the imbalance in the economy has become more pronounced since the recession,” said Irene Tung, a senior policy researcher at the National Employment Law Project and co-author of the study.
The economy is recovering, but not everyone is benefitting.
One explanation may lie in the findings of another study released on Wednesday by the Economic Policy Institute, also a liberal research group. Its report showed that even as labor productivity has improved steadily since 2000, the benefits from improved efficiency have nearly all gone to companies, shareholders and top executives, rather than rank-and-file employees.
A good society provides opportunity for all, not luxury for the few and misery for the bottom quarter.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Higher wages and taxation for the rich and rich corporations are crucial . . . They alone will not solve all problems, but you can’t run a car without a motor, and those components make up at least 70% of the motor.
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“A good society provides opportunity for all, not luxury for the few and misery for the bottom quarter.”
A good society is like an overstuffed, fat sandwich: the top layer is the wealthiest, and they make up a thin piece of bread; the middle layer is thicker and high, filled with lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, and chicken, making up 90% of the sandwich; the bottom layer, another thin slice of bread, is about as thick as the very top layer, and is comprised of those at or below the poverty line.
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Let them eat cake emojis.
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All workers deserve to be paid a living wage. Since those on the bottom have little political clout, wages have stagnant, even as the cost of living rises. It is impossible to live on the minimum wage in most cities in our country. Jeb’s suggestion that “Americans may just have to work harder,” demonstrates his ignorance of the issues confronting most minimum wage earners. When workers work solely at the discretion of employers, they have to opportunity to pay as little as possible for as long as possible. They can also work as part-time employees forever since employers want to avoid any responsibility to provide health care.
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” It is impossible to live on the minimum wage in most cities in our country.” Yes.
Interesting maps on average rental rates for one and two bedroom apartments and “minimum wage” that would be needed to pay for those average rates, which are increasing at about 6% a year. The income that you can afford to put into housing is a problem. It is also a reason why so many kids, with college degrees and debt, are living at home “in the basement.”
Misra, T (2015, May 27) Mapping the Hourly Wage Needed to Rent a 2-Bedroom Apartment in Every U.S. State http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/05/mapping-the-hourly-wage-needed-to-rent-a-2-bedroom-apartment-in-every-us-state/394142/
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Suggest that the labor force participation rate means more than the unemployment rate.
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EPI is right on point. In all facets of life everything is set up for the benefit of corporations (and especially for those at the top of the corporate ladder) at the expense of most company workers and the consumers. There are so many endless examples to be given. One that comes instantly to mind is something most Americans cannot do without – cars. Just replacing a lost key is a minimum of $150 for most new cars. You no longer can just go to a hardware store and pay $5 for a new key. All roads lead to the the dealers. Need a repair? You can no longer go to an independent gas station and get your car fixed. A good independent mechanic used to be able to earn a good living. Now most mechanics have to work for the big dealerships. There is so much technology on the cars (and it is tightly controlled by the car manufacturers) that you must go to the dealer. There are all kinds of expensive warranty extensions for all the planned obsolescence on the car that dies miraculously after the standard warranty expires. All this is designed to benefit the car manufacturers. All the little people working in the car industry are not exactly getting rich. Thank god I have an older car – sure hope to keep it running as long as possible!
There does not seem to be a facet of society that the corporate world hasn’t take over. We know this all too well in public education! There is no sense of an American attitude – “We are all in this together”… sadly, clawing and scratching your way to the top is the horrific norm. Our own president coined “Race to the Top” and it is perfectly analogous to corporate take over. Corporate headquarters have clawed and cheated all the way to the top and in this race there is ONE winner – corporations and a heck of a lot of losers – THE REST OF US.
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I live in a voucher and charter state. What I have noticed is that both kill the ambition of women and men. If you are in a “failing” school district, in the past, you worked your butt off and moved or worked another job to pay for Catholic education. Instead parents remain quite idle, and ask for funds to pay for “better” education and not work for them. Blame vouchers and charters for the lower income.
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