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 2 years ago

MODERATORS

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Some disabled workers are making pennies per hour. Will that change under Trump? (19thnews.org)

submitted 5 days ago by Joker to c/[email protected]

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Conservative opinions on subminimum wage are mixed, but some advocates are optimistic that the new administration will continue working to phase it out.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

I say this everytime it comes up:

For someone on disability benefits, they can lose all their benefits by earning a very very small amount of money on a single paycheck.

The exception to minimum wage is so the ones who want to work, can work without losing benefits.

So before we raise their wage, we have to fix how/when the benefits are effected by income.

Personally the fairest way is after something like an extra couple hundred a month, every dollar earned just reduces benefits by a dollar. And if all the benefits are cancelled out, keep them in the system instead of yanking it on the first paycheck. Give them 6-12 months to show they can sustain, and keep a safety net for when things change

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Or just give them basic income and don't reduce benefits. Consumers with money to spend is good for the economy, it's good for jobs, it's good for wages.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I mean...

Yeah?

We should also have peace on Earth and good will to all.

But that's outside the scope of the current discussion.

Which is that while on the surface getting rid of the exception is a good thing, if you know the situation it's the opposite. Which is why when I see it brought up I clarify.

If the topic was UBI, I'd be saying the same stuff you are.

Hell, I'm a disabled vet. I have free healthcare and my monthly payment is pretty much UBI, since it's military I can earn as much as I can from employment without worry. I know for a fact how little it takes to drastically improve standard of living and I want everyone to have what I do now.

That's just outside the scope of the current discussion

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Personally the fairest way is after something like an extra couple hundred a month, every dollar earned just reduces benefits by a dollar

I'd agree with you, but being disabled is at least twice as expensive as not and those expenses don't go away just because you earned the dollar yourself.