Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.

Our Goals

Higher wages for underpaid workers.
Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
Better and fewer working hours.
Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.

founded 1 year ago

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178

Got tipping rage? This barista reveals what it's like to be behind the tip screen (www.npr.org)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

109 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Excerpt from the article:

Schenker says that after his years in the service industry, he has watched tipping evolve into a major part of his pay.

"If there is some means of tipping that's available to you, that should signal to you that workers there aren't being paid enough," says Schenker. "Tipping is sort of an acknowledgment of that fact."

To Schenker, customers who don't tip are not understanding that businesses treat tips as a baked-in part of workers' wages.

"They subsidize lower prices by paying employees less," he says. "If you aren't tipping, you are taking advantage of that labor."

He was so close... Especially for someone who says himself does not make much money.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

If your place of work has chosen to pay you so poorly that it's now my fault that I've failed to supply you an adequate wage for your work in an industry where service is not a big component (the bakery employee bagging up some cookies for me is not getting a tip no matter how awkward their PoS system tries to make it - delivery drivers and waiters obviously are a different story) then I'm simply not supporting your employer and I genuinely hope others follow they go out of business, well aware that that fact is the reason they stopped getting customers.

You're screwed one way or the other unfortunately, but I'd rather we send a clear message to the people actually responsible for this awful situation you're stuck in where you have to rely on the generosity of customers to make a decent living, than continuing to subsidize their terrible business practices and allow this cycle of abuse to continue not only unabated, but actively financially supported. This can't be the norm everywhere. Arguably it shouldn't be the norm even in aforementioned businesses where it's long been accepted as the norm already. You and I both know your idea of this being "selling labor directly without the ownership class taking a cut" is a falsehood, because their cut is coming from your base wages, while enabling customers to effectively 'not pay' for your labor, with nothing you can do to prevent that because you're not in control of what you earn.

I would be 1000% in favor of people having that power to sell their labor directly and name their prices. But it's this duplicitous system that doesn't allow the laborer any control, while stealing from them, raising prices without the ability to be up-front and honest about what something is going to cost. The only reason you're mad at customers and not your employer, is you feel you have the power to change one, and not the other.