The Colorado Independent - Latest Comments in Colorado’s top employers don’t always pay stellar wages

Re: Colorado’s top employers don’t always pay stellar wages

thegrunt — Sat, 24 May 2008 06:51:16 -0000

Vote YES on amendment 47, shouldn't all Coloradans have the Right-to-Work, the right to earn more and the right to choose?

Can you stop big labors anti-worker choice policies? Can you make a difference?

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Re: Colorado’s top employers don’t always pay stellar wages

erinrosa — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:53:23 -0000

Well notachanceatall, as anyone who has been poor can tell you, the federal poverty level is not very accurate. The level only takes into account food costs, not cost of living, not transportation, not child care or any other important economic variables.

More accurate information would be the self-sufficiency measurement, which measures what it takes to be self sufficient without the aid of government programs. According to data for Colorado in 2008, a family with three children in Denver county would need to bring in at least $59,000:

http://www.cclponline.org/ccs/reports.php

Even if we do take the federal poverty level into account, its still estimated that 20 percent of Americans are under the level according to the federal government.

I think its important to note that the majority of jobs in Colorado are not the best paying ones.

Also, as far as

Re: Colorado’s top employers don’t always pay stellar wages

notachanceatall — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:45:03 -0000

So what is worse Erin, not working at all or working at a place that is at least paying minimum wage?

'Information from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics showed in 2007 that retail salespersons and cashiers made an average of $21,160 to $25,600 a year.'

And please tell me and everyone else where is the poverty line at these days?

Just so you do not have to look it up:

For a Family of 5 the 2008 %100 poverty reference is $24,800.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/in...

Typically any and all supermarkets have always paid the minimum amount to their employees. Why is this news anymore?

Try comparing wage shortcomings against something that maybe makes a better argument. Supermarkets, including that evil Wal-Mart, really are not a gauge that is worth the time to report on. Do you think that in 10 years time this will change somehow? Not so much.......

'...union protections' Isn't that an oxymoron?

Re: Colorado’s top employers don’t always pay stellar wages

stealthisbook — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:45:17 -0000

Safeway and King Soopers are only partially unionized. Some stores, especially outside of the Denver area, completely lack union membership while others have specific union departments-- frequently the meat department.