Low-Wage Workers Are Often Cheated, Study Says [NY Times, Sept. 2, 2009]

Oh. 'Cause we didn't know that. Already.

Low-wage workers are routinely denied proper overtime pay and are often paid less than the minimum wage, according to a new study based on a survey of workers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Overtime? What is this "o...ver...time" of which you speak? We...we're feel confused right now.

The study, the most comprehensive examination of wage-law violations in a decade, also found that 68 percent of the workers interviewed had experienced at least one pay-related violation in the previous work week.
“We were all surprised by the high prevalence rate,” said Ruth Milkman....

You were surprised, Ruth Milkman? Then I guess you've never BEEN IN A SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Listen, in no way are we comparing our wages to that of minimum wage workers, whose lives are so difficult it is heart-breaking. [Yet, we do know teachers, single parents, raising children, multiple children on a teacher's income and THAT is heartbreaking. ]

More to the point, the whole notion of working beyond one's contractual hours infects the entire labor spectrum--almost--from the low wage worker, through our situation, and beyond.

What we are formulating, or attempting to, is a theory of hourly work versus salaried work, versus work for procedure. How are doctors paid? Some are on a staff and take home a salary; some own a practice and take a cut of profits (food for thought); some are paid per procedure....We know too little about how others are paid--and what they are paid for--unless we are married to, or are close friends with, the aforementioned.

I know one thing. You don't get too many doctors to donate their time and procedures without it being a Big Deal, newsworthy, worthy of a 20-20 spot--the doctors DONATED their time to save the conjoined twins!!!!!!!!!!!

Saint Dr. Leo Klepper, pointing to his bejeweled prescription pad--

beatified for writing legible prescriptions

DONATED!!!!! Let us all now bow down before the great ones who have given--GIVEN!--of their irreplaceable, (enormously more important than your) TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Doctor beatified for actually and not just pretending to listen to patient's needs and concerns

***

I don't hate doctors. I rather like them. And we can learn a lot from them. A WHOLE lot. Nurses, too. Learn a whole lot. Your union or teachers association or gaggle of kooks needs to go on a field trip to a hospital and OBSERVE what happens when a SHIFT ENDS.....

This weird thing occurs. People LEAVE!!

Moral: No one, not anyone, should be "giving" one minute of uncompensated labor.

Why? It's dissertation worthy. Here's two why's:

1) The only thing you have to give is your time. It is the only thing you have whilst on earth. Perhaps a close second is your health, tied with your love. Time is your currency. Time is the only thing "They" understand (although we might be able to speak in different terms soon...)

2) Because your time is so precious, so finite, when you want to donate it, please consider very carefully. This moment, this one precious moment [this second, this life] is unique and will never happen again. Do you want to donate this moment to McDonald's (low-wage worker); do you want to donate these moments to an unresponsive, unfeeling bureaucracy that keeps you mired in debt...or do you want to go home and play with your children, walk your dog,

or donate that time here,

or here

or here

or here

or here

We know you can't go build a Habitat house every day after school. But if you are too tired on weekends to volunteer in ways that are deeply meaningful to you, or you have too many chores to do because you couldn't do them during the week due to uncompensated labor at school...

Is this your child...or someone else's?

And if it is someone else's...who is hanging out and sharing a laugh with YOUR child??

...you need to think very carefully about how very precious your time is, and exactly where you want to spend it.

Yes, some students may be "worth" your time. But do you really need to tutor people whose parents could buy and sell you ten times over....after school...FOR FREE ?!?!

Repeat after us:

"I am not a Governess!!"

So enough said.

It's 3:15,

2:10,

1:45,

4:10 pm.

GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!