How will the $15 minimum wage pay raise affect the civil service/military pay subject?

Maj Marty Hogan — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 08:56:37 -0400

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made Aug 28 at 2016 8:57 AM

Maj Marty Hogan — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 08:57:36 -0400

This subject came up over the weekend as my wife is a manger at a small local shop. Fast food pays more than she makes, but she loves what she does. If her boss is forced to raise wages- it could cut the bottom line that is already very thin. Maybe we don't care about small business and only big box stores will survive?

I have attached a small excerpt from an interview on Fox News. Cavuto raises some good points and disregard the EBS break in.

https://youtu.be/QKoju1VfgKU

Fox News' Cavuto VS. Clueless Liberal on Minimum Wage

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Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Aug 28 at 2016 8:59 AM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 08:59:33 -0400

Maj Marty Hogan great question, it should spark the imagination that times are changing and the economy/inflation is always on the up. Congress/Government should consider a pay raise for our Military with a COLA pay increase also IMHO.

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made Aug 28 at 2016 9:23 AM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 09:23:40 -0400

A few thoughts on $15 minimum wage pay and possible affect on civil service/military pay.
- I do not foresee an immediate direct impact but possible to see a future indirect impact depending upon how much minimum wage laws permeate through our local, state, and federal governments.
- The overall minimum wage idea is a bad idea for several reasons: 1. The private sector and supply/demand should determine labor wages, not the government. 2. If a person does not want to receive minimum wage then a person should not have minimal skills. 3. Nothing is free. Government intrusion into this area only transfers the costs to other areas and other people. 4. Indirect impacts of minimum wage requirements is that the private sector adjusts by hiring less people or transferring the job to something less expensive such as "do it yourself" or robotics" so that minimum wage is actually counterproductive to helping minimum wage people.
- Pay scales are but one factor that can and must be considered in an overall employee compensation package. People seem to focus upon silver bullet solutions when they should be looking at problems systemically and comprehensively.

Response by Sgt Seth Welch made Aug 28 at 2016 9:27 AM

Sgt Seth Welch — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 09:27:21 -0400

I could see feet getting drug as far as military is concerned, pay has been low for many years... just because the dollar menu at Mickey d's goes up to $5 don't mean uncle Sam or the branches will see defense as being "worth more"... it just means gov't will be filling Obama's crater a little more efficiently... until you factor in what this will do to inflation.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Aug 28 at 2016 11:33 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 11:33:24 -0400

Since Governments pay the minimum to meet manning and skills, I'd expect this artificially imposed, not related to skill/productivity, requirement to cause a flatline in the GS-1 through GS-6 pay chart. Bumping up the bottom end doesn't create the requirement to do something about the middle and high ends. What it will do is create a disincentive to go the Fed route as bettering yourself for promotion nets little gain. So if this is imposed, it will likely have an impact that makes it difficult for the classification principles in which higher skill, span of control, etc. equate to more pay. If they just did a reset, then all the pay scales run up. Before everyone knee-jerks, and continues their drone about how "poor" the Feds are, you better take a look at how bad off the commercial sector has been and realize for the most part, Feds have it pretty good.

Of course you can take the easy way out and the GS-1 to GS-6 pay scale is replaced by the "I Pay Scale". Can you say "Intern"?

Response by SFC George Smith made Aug 28 at 2016 12:40 PM

SFC George Smith — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 12:40:35 -0400

Maybe we need to thin the Civilian Governmental Payrolls... There are way too Many Morons on the Governments Payroll... The Military should get a Decent Raise to start with and a raise to compensate for the damn Inflation... and The Congress Critters Need their Pay Frozen for a Few years till they actually Pass some common since Lays and Stop Excluding themselves from and the BS Laws they Pass to Keep The Population In the Ditch...

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Aug 28 at 2016 5:13 PM

Sgt Kelli Mays — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 17:13:23 -0400

Why would the MINIMUM wage affect Civilian Government pay? I thought if this bill passes, that it's going to be up to the states to regulate and implement it. Civil Service pay scale and grade, I believe, is fair. It already far surpasses the current minimum wage of $7.25/hr. ...that's $15,080/yr........ GS 1 starts at $18,343/year...which is greater than minimum wage if Minimum wage goes up, then Civil service will have to adjust their pay schedule accordingly. $15/hour at 40 hours a week is $31,200...That's a pretty big jump....... But, I believe it's going to be regulate by each state...but Civil service is not...so good question.... Wages have been TOO LOW for far too long. Civil service would simply have to adjust their pay scale accordingly.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 29 at 2016 10:15 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:15:36 -0400

First in my opinion an across the country raise to the stated $15 would be disasterous. First the cost of living is not the same. Look at California, my $175,000 house is work $650,000 out there. 15 and hour here would be a good living and reaching skill trade level, but in New York city it would not be that great a living. In my opinion the Mcdonalds worker flipping burgers for 15 years and crying for a raise up to $15/hr is nuts, why is that person still working at Mcdonalds and not finally learned a skill or moved up the ladder at McDonalds. A guy I went to high school with started flipping burgers back in the 80's and he is now a regional manager making way more money than I am and I have two masters to his High School diploma. If you want it bad enough go earn it, don't expect it for nothing.