Surviving an Unlivable Wage | Full Documentary

"The restaurant industry has driven a significant amount of economic growth since the Great Recession, but many restaurant employees continue to end up hungry due to a two-tiered wage system that allows tipped workers to be paid as little as $2.13 an hour. CBS Reports' Adam Yamaguchi travels to Indiana to explore the impact of tipping as a primary source of income for people in one of America’s fastest-growing workforces.
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[@cdeshayes1]

The practice of tipping needs to be ended. Employers should be responsible for paying their employees a livable wage. Period.

[@hunterkill97]

Tipping should be optional if the customer wants to.

[@MegaBg1982]

It's ended for me. I don't eat out much but when I do i would never pay extra for a meal. Quality of food and service is poor and isn't worth much anyway.

[@DMWBN3]

MonsterStorm poor food & service doesn’t deserve rewards. I’m out of work & not eaten out in a long while.

[@kstevenson232]

Every time I’m at a restaurant that is always my thoughts how the servers relies on tips I never understood why the customer should compensate for a servers wage made no sense I use to be a server at a diner and would have to share my tips with other servers I was 16 at the time and was just happy to have a job but I think it is outrageous and is long overdue for change

[@m.talley6915]

Yes.

[@8ofwands300]

Even a college degree isn't a guarantee of a good job anymore....

[@queen.kristal8395]

thats why you need to choose a field that you will know youll find job in

[@jasonwang4487]

@@queen.kristal8395 that isn’t a guarantee anymore either. Unemployed or underemployed programmers, engineers, teachers, scientists etc. exist

[@nicholasthompson7690]

Very true

[@shentino]

That's what happens when you saturate the market with too many degrees by oversubsidizing. It crowds out the competition and raises the bar for everyone.

[@justfit71]

very few college degrees will land you a job. Also, most young adults don't know which degree will land a job after graduation. You may be surprised, even people with a law degree struggle to find their first job after graduation. I saw a documentary about lawyers struggling to find a job a few years ago.

[@WDLawless]

My personal experience is that even with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, and earning an MBA degree 20 years later, I had to deliver pizzas and other food for over 30 years to survive. Even as a General Manager at a pizzeria, I was making only $30K a year and was disrespected by customer and bosses alike. I am very thankful to be working an IT job, where I work from home, for the last year. Even $15 per hour is not enough to survive in most places.

[@KrinchiD]

I have an MBA and work as an IT analyst. I work at least 60 hours a week due to the constant backlog of work and lack of qualified workers applying for our open positions. It is exhausting. I make good money but have no life. I have been single for 10 years, because I don't have time to date. Which puts me in a fear loop of, "I'm single and have to be able to support myself through old age completely on my own, so I need to work harder, to earn the money, so when I am old I will be okay". It's a horrible feedback loop. I think average people are stuck in these miserable ruts, on both ends. Either making too little to survive, or working too much to live a life. I don't understand what happened between the time where 40 hour/week, single income households could afford a nice middle class life, and now.

[@DrSchor]

@@KrinchiD Relax. It costs a lot more to support a wife and kids than just yourself. You will be fine.

[@canadianjatti]

@@KrinchiD I'm stuck in the same loop

[@TreeofLife_111]

Seriously, working from home is a much better idea.. less gas, worry about insurance, damage, sitting in traffic. Saves so much time AND money! I always say it’s expensive to be a worker… and workers don’t get beefy tax write offs for their vehicles, clothing etc…

[@godemperormeow8591]

@@KrinchiD Get a vasectomy.

[@alecferretti5612]

I’m 23 and have been in the restaurant industry for 7 years. I make VERY good money. With that being said, I live on my own, no kids, and no one to worry about but myself. For me, it’s super easy to get by. But for families, I’m sure it’s not as easy.

[@nicholasthompson7690]

I'm having to leave my home state and move to midwest because of cost of housing/wage not matching up. It's insane.

[@kellyj817]

How much do you make, if you don't mind me asking?

[@LillyLavine]

Why are we taxing people making $2 an hour???

[@pwp8737]

so billionaires won't have to.

[@amandap9332]

Earning that little people generally get whatever they paid in back at the end of the year. With children, you get more back. I get about 50% of my yearly income in my tax return. The rich and so called "capitalists" like to use that to say poor people dont pay their share of taxes. The reality is American taxpayers are in effect paying the wages of large corporations low paid employees wages. Feel free to remind taxpayers of this whenever thay speak out against raising wages for low paid employees or against increasing taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. When they fight those necessary reforms they are essentially agreeing to pay multi billion dollar corporations employees wages on behalf of those corporations and the ultra wealthy.

[@Gladiator4her]

Anyone making that little amount of money does not pay taxes. All of the money taken out of their check is given right back at refund time, plus extra. The government will give them up to an extra $6,000 if they have kids. Check the calculations for tax brackets, math doesn't lie.

[@Kimberly-wt1nu]

Nobody legally works for $2/hr. The employer is legally obligated to make up the difference if tips are less than minimum wage. The laws need to be enforced.

[@TrollinOn22s]

They don't make enough to be taxed. 47% of all Americans don't pay federal taxes.

[@TheGonzedd]

It will no longer be known as "the cost of living." It is now "the cost of surviving!"

[@whitneymohrhauser8753]

You haven't looked at Social Security Insurance and Social Security Disability and the amount to live off.

[@derekrank4572]

bring in universal basic income for the surviving and then work a job for the living costs..we need both

[@27273100]

No lies told at all.

[@a.notherperson1192]

not even that my friend, it gets worse if you got a disability or a developmental disorder

[@derekrank4572]

ever notice how its alot faster and easier to get a job being a volunteer and working for free..than it it is too get a paid full time job these days...

[@Americano3232330]

“I’m paying 5 dollars to wait on you” as someone who was a waiter for a long time I felt that deeply. People don’t deserve good waiters in many cases.

[@MsBlulucky]

But it shouldn't be the customers who are the problem. The law is the problem. How on earth is it legal to put the responsibility of people's livelihood on voluntary tips?!

[@dailyrant4068]

@@MsBlulucky Exactly... Eddie sounds entitled. The real issue is that tips should be outlawed and restaurants need to pay real wages. Even owners with good intention simply cannot because they would be at a disadvantage otherwise. Tips also make it very unfair to the waiters as a whole because it only helps the higher priced restaurants waiters. There are many waiters who make 4-5K a month but also plenty that make like 2K. By forcing a regular wage, you can balance things out a lot easier.

[@perro7183]

I always tip 15-20%. If I can't afford that I shouldn't be eating out

[@nusaibahibraheem8183]

The customers are there to buy food. Not pay your salary in addition to buying food. All your customers deserve good service if the restaurant intend to stay in business. The real issue is this tipping tradition. Employers will never be compelled to actually pay you as long as you get tips. Tips should be optional and not your salary.

[@Cheesypockets]

Waiters shouldn't be putting their wages to their other co-workers. They should be being paid fairly period.

[@BlueWoods14]

What’s crazy is that fast food jobs and food industry jobs are some of the hardest jobs you can ever work fr

[@roseywinter]

Restaurants are the "absolute, lowest-paying employer in the United States" and now restaurant owners wonder why, during a pandemic, they can't get anybody to work for them. Ironic.

[@marciawade9101]

Yep.

[@BenjaminGessel]

Esp. when rent, etc. is so unbelievably high in many urban areas...

[@iemjgf]

I definitely thought that slavery had been abolished. Obviously not. When someone works all week for a wage that cannot cover the cost of living

[@abdulraheem415]

And I heard that Robert Mueller was paid 500$ an hour to investigate Trump! And that investigation didn't yield any results conclusively!

[@iemjgf]

@@abdulraheem415 That sounds like meteorologists in England, £50000 per annum, and they are always wrong.

[@marys3127]

This is the problem: Many people are still earning the same amount of money that jobs in the 1990’s earned, yet housing, food, cell phones, utilities, insurance, car payments, etc. etc. etc.have quadrupled. Simple answer. Complex to fix it.

[@karengrice2303]

Mary S This is why we see grandparents, parents and children all living together. When they talk about household income, it includes all three generations. It is designed to mislead the public and create the illusion that wages are higher than they are.

[@hrhtreeoflife4815]

:(

[@marys3127]

James Page -James I agree, however it is confusing for this generation of young people as there are more and more college degrees that, although they cost a ton of money, do not pay anything when the kids get out of college. And, many colleges teach these teenagers how to be victims and complain, rather than giving them a good solid education that they can use. I have made more as an entrepreneur than 99% of the public and I never finished college. So it really isn’t about an education anymore. You have to be extremely smart and flexible when it comes to making decisions about what type of line of work you’re going to go into, and many young people just don’t have that wisdom...they need quite a bit of guidance that they aren’t getting. Also, I feel as though there are careers or lines of work that people could’ve had in the decades past that they cannot have now as they do not pay enough to pay the bills. So I feel like this generation’s choices have also been narrowed as well. Not trying to play the victim’s advocate here, however I do think that things are much more complicated for this generation of kids coming out of college than they ever have been before. One thing I do know is you must maintain a positive attitude and work hard, my husband and I call it the “Victim vs. Victor” mentality and you have to stay positive if you’re going to make it nowadays.

[@kaythegardener]

@Bonnie Holman Sure, the average income goes up when 1 person earns $1,000,000 & the other 99 earn $1000 more...!!

[@georgfriedrichhandel4390]

It's actually worse than you think it is. According to one study, real wages in America only increased $1 between 1979-2018. This is not an exaggeration. In 1979, the average weekly wage was $232. Adjusted for inflation, that would come to $839 in 2018. But in 2018, the average weekly wage was $840. Meanwhile, housing has increased by 1.5 times the rate of inflation. A university education has increased by more than 1,000% and as you said, everything else has also increased exponentially. Many people make ends meet only with government assistance or by going into debt.

[@UbeRNooB24]

With the Great Resignation, we know that corporations aren’t desperate for workers, they just miss their slaves. Thumbs up if you agree.

[@BeyondAverageSkilled]

we got youtube, best source of income. dress up as spider man and play with your kids on camera, easily 50m+ views in a week.

[@TruthSeekers369]

You make stupid comments.

[@henrymorse4288]

Yeah thank you federal reserve and banking system and globalist agenda. This is there fault. Democrats suck don’t y’all get that ?!

[@staceystrukel1917]

@@henrymorse4288do you have any idea some of the horrible legislation passed by Republicans and democrats that have caused this? Only morons think one party is better than the other.

[@henrymorse4288]

@@staceystrukel1917 they are all part of the federal reserve system that Kennedy tried to stop that’s why he got killed. The banks are the problem they own everything.

[@jeffwang6460]

Even though the pandemic was a rough time for restaurant servers, I think we might be beginning to see a turning point as people realize their self-worth and take being laid off as an out to find more respectable work. Seems like restaurants are starting to feel the pressure after years of neglecting their employees.

[@DimaRakesah]

The problem is we still treat low paying jobs as if only teenagers do those jobs and any adults working in them must be lazy or have made bad choices in life. The reality is that low paying work takes up a huge percentage of the available jobs. It's not really a choice, for many Americans it's the only option.

[@JUGGERNAUT____]

You're right those adults taking these kind of low wage jobs are lazy. Trust this... dairy farms are always running man down and they are always needing workers... people are just too lazy.

[@DimaRakesah]

@@JUGGERNAUT____ That is not what I said. Please re-read my comment.

[@JUGGERNAUT____]

@@DimaRakesah I know thats not what you said. Dairy farms are struggling because lazy people want CEO salaries to flip burgers part time.

[@DimaRakesah]

@@JUGGERNAUT____ I dunno why you're making this all about the dairy industry but ok... let's talk dairy. Dairy is a dying industry. Who needs to abuse cows for milk when you can just make plant milks? Boo hoo. Pay your workers better if you want to retain them.

[@JUGGERNAUT____]

@@DimaRakesah bwahahaha. In the dairy industry I get paid $175 a day for 8 hours milking cows. The cows are treated so well that they run willingly to be milked. Since you know nothing about the dairy industry here you go. Cows are treated the best way possible because happy cows produce more milk. They recieve the best care including antibiotics and even elective surgeries if it's deemed to make a cow feel good. Mistreated cows do not produce sufficient amounts of milk to be worth having and if they have to shut down because of mistreatment then good riddance. Sounds like you're not in the United States. Agricultural jobs are considered low class. Not for me. I'm 35 now. I own a home. I own 2 vehicles. I've started businesses all because of how much dairies pay. Because I'm not lazy.

[@brianallison1913]

The worst part is these places pay their employees an unlivable wage while reminding them all through their shift they don't care about them but turn around and demand the employees care about the business.

[@roeaspen7233]

If that’s the jobs that are hiring in your area then you take what you can get.

[@christinathom5528]

@James Page Some people don't have a choice, n wait staff work really hard.

[@nickj12]

Exactly. It’s sad.

[@uberfu]

Yep. They point out that employees are cannon fodder and can be replaced on a whim. If someone doesn't want to work, 10 other people are in line to take the job. And what's more sad is that those people are competing for a $2/hr job ... in 2020. That was a FT wage 40 eyars ago.

[@gsp49]

Employees who do not care about the business should be fired.

[@breannapiscitelli3941]

Hopefully when this is all over they can work on mental health programs because I know for a fact that living in America the past three years has given me severe anxiety. It’s disgusting that we live in a first world country and 90% of the people I know can’t even put food on the table working two jobs. It’s just disgusting

[@telcobilly]

It's GREED.

[@cassady7169]

You need to meet some better people then. What loser works two jobs and still can’t afford to eat?

[@Beatles0223]

And we have a group of pols who call any benefits we worked for, such as unemployment, welfare. And poor people who will vote for and defend them to the literal death. 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

[@healthmarket6224]

Here in Australia the minimum wage is about $15 USD. And everyone complains about how expensive everything is compared to the US. The grass is always greener on the other side...

[@coopsnz1]

Our taxes& duties theft in Australia

[@jdax21]

So, a large percentage of people who work in restaurants serving food to other people are themselves nearly starving.

[@teardrop-in-a-fishbowl]

For me, a non-US citizen, that sounds all so crazy. I tipp waiters in restaurants between €2 and €5, but they earn 4 to 5 times more like waiters in the US.

[@Risky2k9]

That's crazy. I used to work at In-N-Out Burger and everyone new, men n women, had a starting wage at 16 an hour here in California. To see that some states pay at 2 dollars an hour is absolutely harsh n disgusting.

[@Ganggreenbmx]

@@Risky2k9 IN Florida it’s always been like that. They get paid nothing. That’s why I always tip great, you never know what they got that day. I remember picking up ex girlfriends and they would only bring in some nights $20.

[@jesussaquin6266]

@@Ganggreenbmx 16 dls a night?

[@Ganggreenbmx]

@@jesussaquin6266 ya a night. But that’s typical in Florida. There’s seasons when people come to Florida ( winter) and there’s no tourists in the summer.

[@KingHarambe_RIP]

The date of this video is truly devastating. These people were suffering and barely getting by before 2020. I can’t imagine what has happened to them since.

[@eroonwiiu5093]

Everything that they’ve hoped for all along... Stimulus.

[@alericjohansen6775]

@@eroonwiiu5093 Except that stimulus is WAYY too low. I lost both my jobs in 2020, and I was living in a van. I lost the van and started living in the woods, in a tent. And now, im living in a hotel ONLY because the local homeless outreach center is paying for it. Yeah, that's my life, and i have no hope whatsoever of ever getting out of this. Im disabled, my kidneys are dead. and im 31, will die in my 40s, and cant get anymore help than im already getting. The stimulus checks are going to bills. I have over $35,000 worth of medical bills. Thats the US for you

[@alericjohansen6775]

@Luís Andrade Yes, however it's also limited to income. See, if you make above 138% of the federal poverty level, you get kicked off medicaid (unless your state has it's own healthcare system and has a buy in for medicaid). Being disabled only allows you to get it a bit easier, because you have documentation to show you can't work. But disability, and medicaid was NEVER built for young people like me. It was built as a supplement, IN ADDITION to all the other supports you have, ie family, friends, your community, etc. However, MANY MANY disabled people, like me, DON'T have those other supports. And homeless people have VERY few supports. It ends up holding people like me down rather than lift us up. If we were to get rid of the income requirements, that would help a LOT. But, conservatives think that the government shouldn't be helping people, so, they vote against doing ANYTHING that help people. Hence, why I am trapped in a horrible situation, and will never escape.

[@Dave-yw2wc]

Actually American's average income INCREASED with covid. The average income in 2020 was up over 40% due to stimulus and enhanced unemployment.

[@bleucblancrouge]

@@alericjohansen6775 bro your'e story IS devastating , if you Can i have one advice for you, ESCAPE, whatever Money you Make take a plane to the eu, you'll find free healthcare and lots of help. America IS just way too ruthless sometimes.

[@azrayelshift]

i think these people are good people who are working hard. they deserve better.

[@dion789]

I'm impressed at how organized and controlled that woman is about her income and expenses and making sure she gets through the month. She's so pragmatic. Imagine how well she could be doing if the political system wasn't doing everything it could to keep her down.

[@saeedurrahman2056]

Did you know Adam yamaguchi is of Japanese origin

[@tiffanybramlette6998]

Tips shouldn't be counted as income, it's an extra thank you for giving me good service.

[@cat_lover007]

Exactly!!

[@samanthatynisa]

I agree.

[@djrickyb]

The government made it a law a long time ago that 100% of a tipped employee's tips are suppose to be reported. Credit card tips are automatically reported in the computer system. Cash tips are up to the employee to declare unless a manager counts their tips every night and declares it for them. Very few tips these employees receive are untaxed these days. Especially since 90% or more of customers pay with credit/debit cards now instead of cash.

[@jeannierusso2134]

Agreed . What if they're taxing $2.15. You're really don't have a paycheck at all basically . Then they want to turn around and text a little money that you finally might get to take home???? . That is if you make enough in tips that particular day or evening... by then what am I taking home??? . Myself ,& a few .💵

[@tuttuttut7758]

If a business cant afford to pay people decent wages they have no business in being one. They have no ground to exist

[@gertrudewest4535]

I have this to say to any sized business; if you can’t afford to pay your employees a livable wage, then do the work yourself.

[@essieoh6634]

I totally agree. In fact, if business would do that and post a sign on their door saying they pay all of their employees a living wage (not a minimum), I would frequent those business over any of their competitors that don't pay a living wage. And I would rather pay a living wage to a server and stop having to calculate and pay the tip.

[@jrodt9]

Or they can hire teens do the job. Teens dont require a living wage.

[@Kyarrix]

@@jrodt9 Do you also believe that teens don't require health care? Or that only teenagers work in fast food? You pay everyone a living wage regardless of their age. It is not appropriate for you to decide who needs a living wage based on their age or sex.

[@gsp49]

@@Kyarrix correct, teens don't require health care.

[@Kyarrix]

@Greg p Many teens do need health insurance. In our system it is a requirement because we have not yet joined the rest of the developed world in providing health care for our population as a basic right. Are you aware that there are millions of teens who live on their own and work? Or what happens when the family is uninsured or underinsured, as is the case for more than 30 million people in this country? Further, there are many emancipated teenagers who are the heads of their own households. In a stable well-to-do home with parents or a parent who is working and taking care of their family, it is likely that a teen would not need their own insurance. Unfortunately, this is not what a large plurality of teens have in their lives. For that reason it is wrong to say that a teen should not make a living wage or that a teen does not require health insurance. I'm going to also point out that your argument is reminiscent of exactly the same thing men said of women 30, 40, and 50 years ago. "A woman doesn't need a living wage, she doesn't have to make as much as a man does because she isn't supporting a family." That too was completely wrong and damaging.

[@joshparker5779]

This is such a good video. I really like Adam Yamaguchi. I think he's one of the best presenters I've ever seen!

[@jacquelineflood3244]

Great Reporting..... well done

[@samdasilva1914]

The young single Mum made some really good points. I do hope the father of her child is contributing financially towards his child.

[@sambotros1918]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3zSc6ignq-snMU

[@blazejennifer2507]

I used to generously tip waiters; now, I can no longer afford to go to restaurants.

[@bencaldwell4820]

Yeah the virus has thrown a whole different element into an already broken society.

[@philipanderegg5973]

@New Type Of Flex for pickup or takeout, I don't tip bc I wasn't waited on

[@rangerannie5636]

I can't afford to eat out or tip. Good thing I'm a good cook, lol! 🍳 Sacramento, California USA 🇺🇸

[@garciavirginia36]

Certified nursing assistant & home health aide are underpaid and don’t get the respect or recognition they deserve.

[@GaryVolts]

They should quit and get that better job they have waiting for them.

[@jimhanratty9543]

A lot of nursing aides should unionize. They have a lot of leverage, considering no one wants to do that job.

[@Mariemarie-uw7id]

I am a CNA in my country and next year going for my nursing degree then hopefully make a better living for me and my partner

[@mtimm9023]

I work as a pcw. Think a nurse without paperwork. I make more than enough because the company I work for actually cares about their residents and workers. Majority of companies don't.

[@silversuckafish2138]

Neither do EVS and hospital housekeepers.

[@stevem4333]

Any business that pays its workers $2.13 per hour should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. And for a federal or state government to look on this and say "I'm supporting my citizens" is unbelievable. Anyone think this is acceptable? State your reasons.

[@fredrickm4436]

Why do people have babies when they are struggling? I never could understand that. And nobody in the government or the media ever says that.

[@brendaechols5929]

That's unrealistic. Try telling that to teenagers in high school. They don't care. It's not always the baby part. Sometimes people just get paid poorly because of stingy corporate America.

[@reyalexandro]

What's sadder is this was pre covid...

[@Arizona_lilly]

Yep u said it... now worst

[@1hawtMetz]

i "liked" this but I hated it. I hate it still lol ya right Rey! it's alllll kinda fk'd is what im realizing at this moment

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

When I first moved to Utah I went out to eat at Olive Garden. I asked the waitress how much she was paid. She told me she was paid $2.50 USD per hour and tips were supposed to cover the rest. As I looked at the menu I noticed that the prices were exactly the same as the Olive Garden I ate at in Oregon where the waitress was paid $8.00 USD per hour. That means the owner of the Utah restaurant was making a much larger profit because he was saving $5.50 USD per hour times 11 servers and was paying much lower payroll taxes. That is profane in the extreme if you ask me. Oh and the waitress in Utah also has to pay taxes on her tips. Seriously

[@thechemi5083]

2 Choices either these damn restaurants need to change their ways or these people need to find better jobs. I waited tables for a few weeks all it took was 2 tables Not leaving me anything and i was gone. Quit got a different job , was it a better job? not really but i never questioned my income.

[@PIANOPHUNGUY]

Well what does it cost to rent a home in Utah versus Portland Oregon? I think Utah is much cheaper than the liberal coastal areas.

[@biancamarcu8004]

Great point

[@derekrank4572]

isnt capitalism beautiful////

[@JK20239]

That's not how the law works. If you make less than 7.25 an hour the owner has to make up for it. $2.5 plus tips has to equal minimum wage or higher....

[@dixie3087]

“Tipped minimum wage” should be illegal. Why has the law allowed companies to make the customers pay their employees? The owners should have to pay minimum wage regardless.

[@micahbailey77]

It's called "lobbying". The restaurant industry is big business, which means they can make sure that unfavorable laws don't get passed.

[@ibislife]

Stop the tipping policy. Give the workers a living wage!

[@MTheChequeGuy]

Unless you live as a worker in the service industry, you’ll never know how hard that life is. Please treat your service workers well... in attitude and in tips.

[@gsp49]

@illawarrior hill heck no! Prices are high enough as it is, why ask owners to pay more when the cost is going to be passed on to you?

[@pauld9561]

I didn't want pickles on my sandwich. No tip for you!

[@gsp49]

@@pauld9561 at these prices, who can afford to tip?

[@gsp49]

@illawarrior hill The workers are not told how much they are paid before they start the job? Instead of harping about fair wages you must remember that some people are not goal oriented and do not understand the value of hard work. Some people are not as good as others and should not be paid as much as the ones who excel in their work.

[@helenooft9664]

In my country a waitress has a minimum salary for 1.653,60 a month for 40 hours a week, beside the tips. So you are not dependent of your tips.

[@teresawicks-kq3bq]

It's so unfair to pay a waitress $2 and $0.13 an hour. I don't care how many tips she gets she should at least make minimum wage

[@kateoloughlin8774]

I was stunned when I heard this. I had to play the video again to see if heard correct. Some bunch of CEOS at the top are living the life off the backs off these Poor people. Kind regards from Ireland. Kate.

[@justmyopinion9883]

Is it legal to pay someone $2.13 an hour? The federal minimum wage in California, where I live, is way more than that. This is so sad.

[@ironwoodnf9128]

@@justmyopinion9883 waitresses in right-to-work states don't have to be paid the minimum wage because they get tips. It's disgusting but it is sadly that simple...

[@brittanytarto3687]

If their wages plus tips don’t add up to minimum wage then the employer does have to pay the difference.

[@free2rhyme29100]

Correct BUT if you listened carefully That’s unless the job is a tip job. Tip job are paid less than minimum wage because I guess the employers figure that the worker would make close to or more than the minimum with whatever they get in tips. I learned this lesson when I was coming out of homelessness and took a wheelchair pushing job at the airport. barely made anything in tips

[@casawi4760]

As a European I feel that we should do more to help developing countries like these to become a modern society.

[@bmker5469]

America seems so prosperous when I watch the news or tv.. this is an eye opener. Who would work for $2.00 an hour. In the UK we have poverty too, but if your willing to put the hours in you can make a living.. I just read that nurses at a local hospital are using food banks to get by. Disgusting. So much money is wasted by governments on a daily basis it's disgusting to think that politicians dont care and believe me they dont. Good luck to everyone in this situation and I hope things get better soon.

[@markingmilestones9881]

“ if we have to pay a wage our industry will collapse.” Imagine any other industry saying that and being believed.

[@analienfromouterspace]

Yep, take care of your employees first, which is most American companies stopped. Also matured companies has no actual growth anymore, so wages, advancements in positions are slow.

[@micahbailey77]

Unfortunately, apps like DoorDash are just as bad as restaurants.

[@Rickwmc]

"You better work at two jobs...if you want to sleep indoors." - American writer Barbara Ehrenreich.

[@bellie8009]

Make that 3 jobs

[@blazejennifer2507]

This is the result of fiat monetary system and fractional reserve banking.

[@Amandafromappalachia]

Nickel and Dimed? Great book.

[@Rickwmc]

@@bellie8009 Now-a-days yes.

[@ForeverShadowBanned]

​@Svetla Nikolova There is only so much frugality that can be achieved until you have literally nothing. Most rents here in America near the cities (where all the jobs are) are 3x what you spend in a month, and that's just rent alone. And learn to take the bus? America doesn't have a great public transport system, that's why everyone has a car here. Tiny houses and better infrastructure are solutions to the problem but our government doesn't want solutions, it wants to keep stealing from us and getting away with it.

[@Tecolote-xn4eu]

Thanks for giving us all a national perspective. Hope your video reaches many eyes. America needs to wake up and see the everyday struggles if our government is really serious about preventing further homelessness.

[@likejohnnyandjune2024]

I live in Rapid City South Dakota, a relatively medium sized town, and 5-7 years ago you could get a 3 bedroom apt for $900/$1000. Now a 3 bed apt is $1600/1700. That's insane for our area. And wages have not changed at all.

[@nevermind-he8ni]

I'm in the Boston area and a 3BR is about $5k a month.

[@likejohnnyandjune2024]

@@nevermind-he8ni it makes literally no sense

[@nevermind-he8ni]

@@likejohnnyandjune2024 No it does not. Thanks for noticing. Studios here are over $2k per month.

[@mi-da2920]

San Jose, California here. I still remembered being able to get a 1 bedroom for $1800 in 2019, thinking that was a whole lot of money. Now you can't even find a studio under $2000 anymore.

[@Spiritfba]

I was a server at a local family restaurant and when business was slow, instead of sending someone home, they would have us deep cleaning the restaurant. I got paid $2/hr to scrub walls. I didn't even know they were supposed to compensate us up to minimum wage. The owners drove new suvs, sent their children to private school, and lived in a nice country club home. Later on I was fortunate enough to fall into a field where I could start my own business. I'm still working by myself but I refuse to hire someone if I can't pay them at least $12/hr (I live in a low cost of living area where most uneducated workers make $9 or $10 starting out). I am confident that within a year I will be able to hire someone at that wage.

[@luv2charlie]

If they still have a restaurant, you should report them to the government agency that investigates wage violations. It's usually on the minimum wage poster in each state. www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/posters/flsa

[@EmpressMermaid]

Oh yes, I remember those days. When business was slow they'd send the (full pay) kitchen staff home and servers would clean the carpets or some such for $2.13/hr. And I've never known a restaurant to "make up the difference" on low tip days.

[@EmpressMermaid]

@@luv2charlie yep, and then hold your breath while you wait for someone from the state labor office to show up and do something about it. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. An unenforced law isn't really a law.

[@toyajackson556]

You're awesome!

[@amandasligar9269]

I wish more employers would think like you do.

[@lauragadille3384]

It sucks living and being poor

[@tapercandles3838]

Yep.. I've known 34 cents after I paid bills, child care, cost of gas/parking, food. When i saw 78 cents extra.. I knew i made progress. It was a moment. Took years. A soda from a machine.. not in my budget. Be strong.. you can do it.

[@lauragadille3384]

@@tapercandles3838 ty

[@nightfangs2910]

Working poor is the worst place you can be in life period

[@EL-kf8nq]

I am so happy I’m not poor. It sounds horrible. I don’t think I would like it.

[@DMWBN3]

I am out of work in England. Get £308pcm (rents paid also) but I have £40 to make up the rent, bills & food. It's gone with in 2 days. I'm left with nothing to last me the money. I have had to steal food, the food banks only got cheap processed crap.

[@christchaik8317]

To those who are already worried that the restaurant meals get pricier: this is already UNHEARD of in almost any country out there. Been to both developed and developing countries and this is just mind-blowing because I never even heard of a tip-only wage. I'm sure the shareholders can lose a few bucks without immediately rushing to raise prices of food.

[@jeanetteschulthe1andOnly]

Thank you Adam, you did a fabulous job. Thank you for helping those folks. You have helped them more than you know.

[@ellissabetta5909]

Employers should be fully responsible for paying their employees a livable wage. If you can't do that, you shouldn't be a company

[@Philippinesbound42]

It’s not the job of a company to pay a liveable wage. It’s a marketplace like anything else

[@ellissabetta5909]

@@Philippinesbound42but it actually is. Otherwise, we call it exploitation. It is so weird to me that people are arguing that dull time working people should starve because companies don't want to pay their workers a living wage for their effort and work.

[@Philippinesbound42]

@@ellissabetta5909 it’s the job of a company to make a profit. So the company survives. Employees are just a cost and companies pay employees based on the skills they bring. These jobs pointed out in the documentary. Anybody can do. And requires little to no skills. So they are paid accordingly. Most servers make 20 bucks an hour or more since America has black mailed the customer to tip a certain percentage. If they moved tipped workers to 15 an hour. I won’t tip anymore.

[@ellissabetta5909]

@@Philippinesbound42 it is always funny to me when people say stuff like that. These jobs have low skills and anyone can do it. They say the same about picking fruit yet they never volunteer. Go pick fruit or be a waitress and see how "low skill" it really is. it is always people who haven't actually done it who thibk they are low skill. There jobs are much more valuable than any brain job; that is why they are the essential workers. In terms of the company, yes, their goal is to make a profit but in any civilised society or responsible company, that should be aftet you can pay your workers. It is only a corrupt capitalism who looks at the people driving those profits as a cost, rather than a resource.

[@ellissabetta5909]

@@Philippinesbound42 A company will 0ay wjat it needs for essential resources. The price of the resource of labor should be a living wage. If they cannot 0ay it, they need to go out of business and make room for a business that can.

[@heatherrivera4991]

I waited tables about a decade ago. I can honestly say that tipping should be outlawed. It's simply the restaurant subsidizing the labor cost off onto the consumer. They've got essentially free labor when you factor in "side work" Food service is an incredibly abusive industry. Just ask someone who's worked in it.

[@francinecannon1903]

Speaking of "sidework". That includes cleaning restrooms, sweeping, mopping, cleaning tables and chairs, windows, wiping down walls, filling ice containers, etc.... All for $2.13 per hour from the restaurant.

[@jgg204]

If the restaurant got rid of tipping and baked it into your hourly rate, the customer would still be paying for it through higher menu prices. Your logic doesn't make sense. The tip is to incentivize you to provide good service. If you got paid the same whether you provided good service or bad service...bad service would be provided

[@theglassarrow_]

@@jgg204 Makes more sense to bake it into the price of items, some people don't tip no matter what. they just don't. Also if you provide bad service you get complaints and hours may be cut or you could lose your job. It's not like workers who get paid hourly dont experience these things

[@danielharris5150]

This is a universal problem. Hahaha. In my country, giant companies like Starbucks, KFC, McDonald's pay around $1.50/hour, converted from our currency to USD. The reason why they won't bother paying more is because they know people will be working with them. And a set of McDonald's burger is $4 :D

[@DrSchor]

I worked in food service as a teen, in a summer resort for tips only. By providing good food service, I made more than I could have in wages. We all did. Clearly you are wrong.

[@janniapalmer5975]

“End the stigma of oh you chose that job, but that’s all that we can get” so heartbreaking, the aspects of work and pay are no different than in America and a third world country.

[@MrHwilRRR]

Agreed. Everyone who is not at a certain threshold gets swept underneath the rug.

[@breannapiscitelli3941]

Nobody wants to work these jobs but this is what is available. Honestly I wouldn’t mind being a server or working in retail is it paid more. It’s just not worth the mental tax. People are really cruel especially during the pandemic. But I agree completely it shouldn’t be a shame to work a job like this. But society has shamed us so much that they can’t even pay these people a living wage. It’s one of the most lawfully evil things I’ve ever seen in my entire life I feel like

[@Llovelylady1]

And people wonder why I’ve been saying for the last couple of months that I don’t give a damn if the whole industry fails. If it takes the whole industry failing in order for people to make a living wage then let it all burn 🔥 down to the ground. I can eat at home.

[@jaynordiaz4609]

The fact that we still don't pay a living wage to wait staff in restaurants is ridiculous to me.

[@eggsalts4243]

Yea let’s pay them 8$/hr so they can’t make more than that. Sounds lit

[@goldeegoldfish]

They also often times don't pay the cooks a living wage too. Though that's changing because it's so hard to find a good line cook nowadays they are paying more to get them in.

[@georgeforall]

@@goldeegoldfish Eliminate tips then.

[@user-fv1cd5nx3w]

It's because a waiter isn't a permanent job- it's a temporary means to get by. Go to college and stop complaining.

[@JoseMendoza-rr4mp]

Plus, I'm sure many of us don't go eat at those places cause we remember we need to tip and we ourselves are barely making it by and having to tip will add more to the price when fast food will be the better option to save

[@queenapple9012]

hahah....I grew up in food banks only my mom never told us. I always thought it was a store to get food. Now, that I am older I appreciate everything she did for us.

[@larrypahl1012]

Before bush had rayGun shot, the usda fed many

[@verkanica]

She's a great mom!

[@brendanjames2687]

My step gramma used to do anything to keep my stepmom and her brother from knowing they were poor lol. Her and her sister would go to the food bank together and pick out the foods that wouldn’t be weird for my step gramma to take home so that her kids just thought she went grocery shopping

[@jamilajohnson7460]

2.95 an hour?! That is madness and crazy. I feel for these restaurant employees.

[@googiegress7459]

Everyone needs to watch things like this to get a real sense of what life is like down one or two rungs on the ladder - and recognize how the last interviewee is a few rungs above how bad it could be for her family, even in this country.

[@vincenttiene]

Chipotle pays a minimum $15 an hour. They increase their menu prices by a small percentage to make up for the wage increase. This is how it should be done.

[@chaotickreg7024]

Prices didn't go up as much as wages did. This contradicts the popular myth that price increases will outpace wage increases.

[@vincenttiene]

@@chaotickreg7024 Corporations try to pay employees as little as possible. Government is there to make sure corporations are fair and employees are not exploited. The reason we get paid vacations, paid sick leaves, paid overtime because corporations are forced to paid. If they could get their own way, there wouldn't be any benefits. Corporations have been lobbying to keep the minimum wage where it is even as their profits are at all time high. Congress raises its salaries every year while leaving the minimum wage un-touch for years. That tells you something.

[@chaotickreg7024]

@@vincenttiene I'm glad that we already have a lot of protections, but we are slowly losing some of them. It's absurd, this country is losing to the treadmill.

[@vincenttiene]

@@chaotickreg7024 The problem has to do with Wall Street, big corporations and their corporate donors. Regardless of your party affiliation, any policies come out of congress that target these entities is a good thing.

[@dominicbrown8916]

I will gladly pay more if the workers will get paid more. Everyone deserves a living wage.

[@nicky6579]

It would be nice and go back and talk to the same people to see how they fared since Covid-19.

[@NicoleM2108]

I was thinking that myself. If they were on the edge then and $400 was all they had...imagine what could have happened since. Though I think the waitresses might have actually fared better since they might have gotten the fed unemployment. The others? Humm, maybe not so well. And all might be looking for new jobs as we speak.

[@lovelyletter7460]

I’d imagine better since the extra $600 for unemployment. Now they get paid to stay at home. Why go back to work at that rate? Too bad they couldn’t throw a couple bones in the direction of all the essential workers who have continued to work each and every day through the pandemic.

[@NicoleM2108]

@@lovelyletter7460 Yes, agreed! Some got the miniscule lame "hazzard pay" and the companies that gave it quickly retreated on it so...

[@art43541]

@@lovelyletter7460 some companies have been paying $400 extra a month to workers. Not much compared to people who got 600 a week..

[@brandonwombacher2559]

Most likely not well

[@jamilamccarty6961]

I like what George Carlin said once said "The American Dream you have to be asleep to believe it"

[@shaquandrataylor2770]

I'm definitely going to start tipping more than what's required now. This is horrible, I feel so bad for the waiters/waitresses.

[@dangnguyen4392]

While CEO pay themselves a sometimes a 10 figures BONUS- GOLDEN PARACHUTE for bankrupting their own company. LET THAT SINK IN.

[@cosmicllama6910]

That's the new gig, Take Mars candy co; buying up veterinary clinics and running them into the ground. The CEO's can just syphon companies and jump to new ones like fleas.

[@Jetairplane]

@@cosmicllama6910 we need to round them all up, and throw them in a cage with a couple of hungry male lions.

[@balderdashery1]

Average CEO pay is 350 times that of front line workers. In fast food it is probably higher.

[@mattrodgers4878]

balderdashery G And they earn every penny! I’m sure they work 350 times harder than their employees!! My keyboard is dripping with sarcasm.

[@supershroom164]

CEO puts in all the risk, they get to reap the rewards. Don’t be a socialist

[@dragonstooth4223]

"If I have to live off the McDonald's $1 menu ..." does no one see the terrible problem with that? It's just an endless cycle of the poor being ripped off

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Yep, finally more people are beginning to see that that's all America is and ever was - a wealthy class sustaining itself by ripping off the poor. I just hope my country will wake up and be more like the actual greatest countries in the world or at least as good as Canada

[@mssha1980]

@@LukeMcGuireoides I hope so too. It’s time we wake up

[@stormb28]

It very expensive being poor. I don’t get how people cannot grasp this concept.

[@Hw-xf6gs]

Poor people choose to be poor, stop making excuses

[@stevenmonsanto5324]

@@Hw-xf6gs yeah starving kids just choose to be starving they should learn how to code, start their own small business, and day trade to become a millionaire in 2 years

[@DoraBadger]

I'd love to see you follow up on the restaurant industry post-pandemic.

[@user-iz5qh8lk6h]

THANK YOU for this video. best documentary made in a while, and I watch dozens all the time. this is the truth and talks about the reality behind it and breaks barriers of what is just "at the surface" for many. amazing job!!

[@scarceboy3430]

The American dream is called a dream for a reason.

[@strwbrywoman]

Cuz you have to be asleep to believe it-George Carlin

[@brandonwombacher2559]

It might have been a true dream at one time, but not anymore

[@david-lt9wj]

It's called the American nightmare now....

[@Philippinesbound42]

You have to work to achieve dreams

[@1953beetle]

Not just America.Try world wide.

[@jasonguevara4857]

The problem is that people decide to have kids when they just can't afford them. Kids are a huge money pit.

[@elisewarnicke4767]

Sometimes people lose a job unexpectedly. Yes you should think about what you would do if you lost a job before having kids but sometimes unexpected things happen.

[@lovingatlanta]

😩Sad, so very sad & heartbreaking. 😩

[@goldeegoldfish]

And then everything got worse when coronavirus attacked

[@thomasfristmd1876]

No jobs.

[@TheTechCguy]

I agree! It was bad enough before the virus. Now, this plus the virus?! Recipe for disaster. Oh, and the riots.

[@angelgjr1999]

America is in bad shape. No idea why trump supporters are yelling keep America great. It never was.

[@GaryVolts]

Wasn't the virus, it was the over reaction to the virus that threw all these folks out of work.

[@lucienlachance390]

When the world needed livable wages the most, they vanished. Hopefully not for 100 years...

[@dacypher22]

I started working in a restaurant as a server when I was 16 and I got a tip-based wage of $2.13 an hour. That was almost 25 years ago. The federal minimum wage was $5.15 then. Today, in 2020, the tip wage is still $2.13 per hour.

[@tahkeem_tha_dream3585]

And the cost of living is 3 or 4 times more. 25 years ago you could get a decent 1 bedroom apartment for 500 bucks a month. Now it cost 1,500 to 2,000 a month for a nice 1 bedroom apartment.

[@dacypher22]

@@tahkeem_tha_dream3585 Yep. And that is ridiculous that the tipped wage hasn't changed.

[@anthonylafayette4385]

Join a Union.

[@dacypher22]

@@anthonylafayette4385 Restaurant workers really could use them but unfortunately unionization is extremely difficult in lower-skill jobs. Restaurants know they can find more bodies to fill the positions that will keep the business more or less running. The National Restaurant Association has done quite well at fighting them over the decades.

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

25yrs and the fed min wage has only gone up $2.10. I'm sick of hearing all the arguments against 15 dollars. If you work 40hrs a week you should be able to afford to raise a child, own a home, have a working car, afford healthcare, afford a once a year vacation. Especially if you live in the richest country in the history of the world, the country that claims to be number one

[@foxtailedcritter]

I'm from Australia (Where we have free health care and PAY our worker's) I still can't wrap my head around tipping. It shouldn't be my job to pay your workers.

[@micahbailey77]

Well, it IS the job of the customer to pay the staff--through their purchases. Not via tipping.

[@angelfuturejob]

Finally! I’ve been looking for this video

[@Sara_London]

Let's not forget the 2 hours we spend doing 'sidework/cleaning jobs' while after being cut off the floor. That's 2 hours extra cleaning for $2.13 an hour not getting new tables there for not getting tips..

[@jeannierusso2134]

Sara London. I'm surprised you do any side work because that's not enough that's chicken scratch and you don't even get that so you might as well be clean for free. When I was working in a restaurant and I will name the restaurant Denny's( don t work here ) . As a hydro technician. I was doing a lot of work I had to do the bathrooms I had to do outside I had to empty all the rubbish plus go in the back and do all the dishes

[@user-fv1cd5nx3w]

It's because a waiter isn't a permanent job- it's a temporary means to get by. Go to college and stop complaining.

[@jeannierusso2134]

@@user-fv1cd5nx3w I don't really think that she's complaining I think that she's expressing her opinions because it's true people don't realize that and I think she's bringing awareness people that never worked in the industry do not understand.. and that everybody can just jump up and go to college everybody has a different upbringing and surroundings and different Lifestyles so that's easy to say oh just go to college and college or college degrees don't mean you're getting a job

[@user-fv1cd5nx3w]

@@jeannierusso2134 sure they do, an engineering degree guarantees a job. I worked as a waiter while paying for college so I know what that’s like. Why would an unskilled worker deserve more than what the market considers fair ?

[@jeannierusso2134]

@@user-fv1cd5nx3w ok. Thank u 4 your comment. I am so happy that things worked out for you.. my ex is a chemical engineer.... he went to college also. Sometimes people get laid off too....😔

[@c4rs0n87]

4:50 hits really hard. You'll hear boomers say things like "Fast Food jobs are for teenagers not for adults" yet there are more open positions in that field compared to the declining warehouse/factory jobs. Also if they are for teenagers then why are they open during school hours?

[@micahbailey77]

Exactly!

[@shomarimonroe150]

Fantastic video

[@glittersilver7779]

Wages are deplorable....some senators feel that $7.25 should stay where it is makes me sick.

[@ryangriffith5551]

Should be 0

[@thomasbraden6050]

@Corn Pop Why not 100? TO DA MOON BABY!!!

[@gunslingingbird74]

@Corn Pop I live in an area where $45 an hour isn't enough to live without a second job. When rents average $2500 a month for a studio apartment, $15 an hour is less than pocket change.

[@angelgjr1999]

I make 15 an hour currently. I barely break even most weeks and I don’t have kids, 15 ain’t enough at this point either.

[@peacefuldaizy5717]

Minimum wage should have had Cost of Living Adjustments like Social Security.

[@t900HAWK]

i work as a cook in a restaurant and i can say ive seen waitresses be sent home on slow days because they are literally losing money by being there because of the tax on their wages. also as a manager in the kitchen i always cook the waitresses and waiters a good meal before they leave or when they get in and if anything is about to go bad or wont be used ill send it home with them.

[@MrDlt123]

You're a good man, dude.

[@MrDlt123]

@@royharper2003 Agreed.

[@Spidr2000]

@@royharper2003 not everyone can do that simply out of not being able to afford a degree or out of having to prioritize people over an education

[@Allan-xj5ek]

@@Spidr2000 so true

[@Hanyousan1661]

@@royharper2003 Ah. The 'why can't you just?' crowd that I viciously despise dealing with. I work in tech - I'd be RICH if I had a dollar for every 'why can't you just' person coming to our group and running their mouths with 0 understanding of why it 'can't just' be done. We try to explain that the system doesn't work that way, or trying to 'just' do that will cost a ton of money, or cause issues in related systems and they turn their noses up, sneer, and say that it's excuses. They then come back whining about cost, and outages and blah blah blah when they were explicitly told that's would would happen if we 'just'. All this to say: If people 'could just', THEY'D HAVE DONE IT. No one wants to be poor. Its insanely hard work being broke and balancing between what you can't live without (diabetes medicine, hypertension medicine, etc), what you might be able to put off, what you might be able to drop if you're careful (car insurance), and what you're just going to have to give up (decent food). The mental energy you expend keeping all those plates spinning would likely make going back to school on top of it a terrible idea. People need to sleep and unwind, or they wind up with severe mental and physical issues from over work. The suicide rate in the US is among the highest in the developed world for a reason - because people like you condescend to them and say its their fault they don't have thousands of dollars on hand and a ton of free time to get a trade certificate. Or...did you think trade certificates are free??? $7.25/h is not nearly enough to save for the upfront cost of certs for HVAC or welding, much less enough to live on without working so they could go to school. OR...did you think they could keep their job? Pro tip: For most minimum wage folks, their schedules change BY THE WEEK and are not flexible. They'll either be fired, or have to drop out of school because they have to work instead of going to class. Think before you let another 'why can't you just' roll out of your mouth. Maybe see how far $7.25 would go in a modest city - see if you can make it work on paper given the realities of the place you choose. Adjust for children, disabled parents or siblings, etc.

[@macavelli8905]

Insightful conversation

[@mallori6610]

I’m 32 years old (left as a manager at a restaurant at the beginning of the pandemic) and started as a server at 16! I was hooked bc I made 300-400 bucks every single shift! I made 2.13 an hour but it didn’t matter to me then. There were people to bust down my tables n help me cash people out. Towards the end of my “career” I was making 50-60 bucks for a full shift, forced to do the dishes, forced to bust down my own table during a busy shift ect. It was awful so I switched to managing for a few years which was ok but I got paid salary and forced to work 60 hour work weeks. They’d leave me w no dish washers or a cook so I’d be responsible for every single aspect of the restaurant. It wasn’t worth it and I will NEVER go back again!!!! So many of these places don’t offer health insurance but require a doctors note if you call out sick. It’s so disgusting!!! The pandemic really forced me to slow down and realize how miserable I was!!! Luckily my husband makes enough now so I don’t work at all but if I did need to go back it would never be to a customer service based job again!!!

[@gregorykelly6274]

It's pitiful USA that allows Americans to starve in such rich milk and honey country.

[@jacquelinejuneau5962]

It's absolutely revolting.

[@jamesgutting7128]

They are pretty fat for starving

[@annalisa14]

James Gutting - they’re starving for good nutrition. Anyone can get fat on French fries, but heart disease and diabetes looms for most, and they know it.

[@angelarose249]

The honey done dried up and the milk is sour.

[@gsp49]

You are mistaken, the U. S. Is trillions in debt. Not rich.

[@skeptical_sorcerer]

So, the cafes and restaurants are making their customers pay their employees' wages?!

[@iamcosma7065]

Nobody is making anybody do anything. Nobody has to eat at these restaurants, nobody has to work at them. Do you think restaurant owners are running around kidnapping customers?

[@vq7864]

@@iamcosma7065This is what our friend here took away from this video. Which is not completely inaccurate. Restaurant owner's are basically relying on their customers to make up the difference in pay in tips. It's understood and pitched to you when you apply for a server job.

[@iamcosma7065]

V Q Right, nobody takes a job waiting tables not understanding this. My point stands that nobody is making anybody do anything. If you don’t want to work for tips, don’t wait tables.

[@vq7864]

@@iamcosma7065 Agreed. People take the job knowingly and we the consumer go in also knowing this is how it is. What I got from the video is there are people who would like this changed. They want to abolish working for tips and give workers at least minimum wage. Now, I guess the question is do we believe that paying someone less than minimum wage is ethical? I was raised to believe in caring about others as I care about myself. If I were an employer my conscience would not allow me to do this. So, maybe the point really should be if someone can't afford to pay at least minimum wage then, they shouldn't open a business. That's just my opinion. You may differ with me on this and that's fine. We can agree to disagree. If you have a business I pray for it's success and that you share your success with your employees. God bless.and care for you in these very difficult times. My grandson just became sick with Covid19 symptoms. He tested negative for the flu. We are waiting for the covid19 test results. Our schools reopened and sadly we knew this was the risk.

[@shirleyowens9936]

Thanks been saying this forever, and it’s always the celebrities promoting tipping, especially during the holiday seasons, Sometimes people only have enough to go out to eat , not pay their employee too.

[@benitomunoz8661]

A balanced and very honest insight to a huge problem. If you go out to eat, tip your servers well. They have families too!

[@izagdlife]

Most times it amazes me greatly how I moved from an average lifestyle to earning over $63k per month, Utter shock is the word. I have understood a lot in the past few years that there are lots of opportunities in the financial market. The only thing is to know where to invest.

[@Florencecoxx]

I keep wondering how people earn money in financial markets, i tried trading bitcoin on my own made a huge loss and now I'm scared of investing more..

[@izagdlife]

@@Florencecoxx That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like *Sarah Alma Martinez* my consultant. I found her on a CNBC interview where she was featured and reached out to her afterwards. She has since provide entry and exit points on the securities I focus on. I basically follow her trade pattern and haven’t regretted doing so.

[@Florencecoxx]

You allow people to trade for you? that's interesting, How can I be part of this project I earnestly hope to build a strong financial future I'm interested to take part, I would love to learn, hope it’s safe?

[@thamad311]

@sheilajensen This is the Fourth time I'm seeing someone talking about Sarah Alma as there are lot of testimonies about her, do you know her ? if yes , did you invest with her?

[@izagdlife]

@@Florencecoxx It's 100% safe and legal, She’s an expert trader on stocks and bitcoin. I basically do nothing but collect profits, she was able to get me in early on most of these stocks and I exited just at the right time, her analysis was really on point

[@Enidscake]

US needs to get rid of tipping culture, businesses need to pay workers a living wage!

[@davidsavage9543]

I can almost guarantee that in most restaurants, the "living wage" would be less than what a lot of servers make.

[@Folzar_gaming]

Yeah absolutely, i cant speak for every country but in mine the average minimum salery is 14,40 dollars an hour as a server but after working for a year or two it usually goes up to around 18-19 dollars an hour.

[@RedHanded1969]

You dont seem to understand US tipping culture at all.. These waiters dont represent majority of waiters in US, many more would prefer 0 wage, as suppose to 0 tip. Tips is a big part of a waiter income. The issue here is not min wage policy for waiters, but lazy waiters who refuse to move to a bigger city.. Who in their right mind wants to wait table in Kokomo? Who in their right mind plan to raise a family base on factory job, when they can earn 3x more on trade jobs, like trucking n welding..

[@genxx2724]

@@RedHanded1969 I met a waiter who worked at a really expensive restaurant in downtown LA. He referred to repeat customers as his “clients.” That night he had clients who were flying in from Japan. He must have made $$$. Treated it like a commissioned sales position.

[@dragonore2009]

Government needs to get out of the economy.

[@odysseus8809]

Adam Yamaguchi is probably one of the best conversationalist that I've heard in a long time. He is a talented interviewer.

[@MJ-mm1iv]

Yes he is.i enjoyed listening to him

[@theelizardqueen]

Yes! And he's so fine 🤤

[@michaelrowe8115]

I don't feel comfortable getting paid 300$ every 2 weeks while my employer gets paid 10 grand a night. At the point I'm better off not making any money and working on my own goals and dreams. Thank God for food banks and the citizens who actually care about the community progressing.

[@calvinjd1829]

Great reporting......need to see more of your journalist talent.

[@SB-io7rw]

I'm seeing more tents and cars hidden in the wooded area where I walk my dogs. Used to be like once in awhile. Now just about everyday. Today I came across a family camping back there. They had all thier stuff in suit cases and bags. It looked like they had to leave thier home. Sad times.

[@DarcieGlam]

Excellent documentary. I hope the two women in this are doing okay.

[@breadbun1975]

This has such good information against people who say "only teenagers should work these low wage jobs". Factory & industry jobs have shrunk, retail & restaurant jobs have expanded. There's not enough factory work demand. Its horrible that 84% of resturants did not meet the minimum wage coverage

[@Renram22]

Now look what's happened, a huge amount of people have left food service and consumers are mad about not being served in time but yet don't want to pay more for them to live well enough. This is what we deserve. America needs to fix this

[@mygoogle1594]

@ Renee .. Patronizing restaurants is Bourgeois decadence.

[@nicholaslazenka1700]

“The prices keep going up but our wages stay the same” I have heard this and dealt with this a long time, this country is floundering

[@joedirte716]

@@sheilaharrison8547 get a better job then.

[@aceclover758]

@@joedirte716 Not as easy as you think kid, espeically with the job market

[@itistheway6893]

Increasing your wage won’t help you. That just gets passed on to customers in the form of inflation. And all the prices go up.

[@aceclover758]

@@itistheway6893 inflation has happened anyway at a rate faster than wages That whole “past cost to the customer” is BS when said executives are handed bonuses for little to nothin every year They get “increase in wage” when they hardly need it but actual workers do not?

[@billw8476]

that is due to biden's rampant inflation.............fraudulent elections have consequences, and now you are living it! we WERE warned!!

[@travel4fun003]

I hate to think where these restraunt workers are now after Covid.

[@Lisa-xm3tb]

As a server in the Midwest I can tell you that I make the same amount if not more than I did before Covid. Even at half capacity. But a lot of servers didn't get to come back, they couldn't hire everyone back. HOWEVER, it is much more chaotic now and stressful for everybody especially the managers. They have so much on them right now.

[@ScarletTsubasa]

Depends on where you are. I currently live in GA. It's $2.13 here, but after a few raises I am at a base of $3 an hour. Luckily, my employer isn't crooked like another place I worked and actually makes up the difference if I don't hit minimum wage. Since I also host and bus my own tables I also don't have to do tip out. But, unfortunately, people have become a bit tight on their wallets and don't tip what they did pre pandemic. Many to go orders straight up don't tip at all and will even refuse to wait inside, forcing me to take it to them in their cars. I am the only server still on staff since we are small too, so having to chase people down to give them their food is extra work, especially since I am taking orders from all the call ins and dine ins as well (I am only one person, after all). People have become a whole lot more demanding, and even straight up aggressive. Maybe the pandemic has them stressed, but it's really a downer to get treated like a punching bag. I am glad my regulars make a point to still tip me well, otherwise I would have to supplement my monthly income with my savings instead of just breaking even. I am fortunate to have put back money since before the pandemic I was actually making about $12-15 after taxes (not even counting my hourly wage). If I didn't do that, because of the changes this year, I would be in serious trouble right now

[@jewelofthesouth27]

Unemployed

[@brookehudson9851]

Getting less hours and less pay. I had to pick up a 2nd job at another place to get 40 hours a week. That is still up in the air certain weeks too.

[@JuanRamirez-un1xn]

@@ScarletTsubasa wise move thinking ahead, something most of us (including myself) don't do :-/

[@mikehunnewell7412]

Also my manager tried to tell me every one had do 10 hours of training and were not going to pay us for it. If we didn't we be suspended or fired .I told them to fire me, I don't work unless I get payed. It's also a benefit and state law they agree , but still harassed me . I got paid the other 50 + didn't .

[@julienunnally8040]

You know what's even more outrageous? I was being paid $2.13/hr when I was waiting tables back in 1998. Yes, 1998.

[@jelenaspeer4817]

Makes me have a new appreciation and respect for restaurant workers

[@stephaniebrooks8044]

Absolutely!! I did it for a month! I have the utmost respect for them. And u should always leave a tip!

[@matthewnelson325]

It seems like more and more things are becoming this way ! : ( www.businessinsider.com/workers-rage-quitting-jobs-in-a-tightening-labor-market-2021-5

[@brianvivickers3712]

Me also, this vidoe is touching.

[@dabillya6845]

@@stephaniebrooks8044 didnt last long huh?

[@gzz8551]

Yep. Tip kindly.

[@vasil3089]

Its not donating plasma, its SELLING plasma! When are we gonna start calling it what it is ffs?

[@andygill6051]

I sold my plasma got pretty good coin on it but i miss my good old Sony 60 inch :'(

[@angelikalaser7778]

Getting $20 is donating. Companies that sell plasma be it to hospitals or hospitals to patients charge up to $1000 for one donation of yours. Imagine selling your grandmas wedding band that is worth $1000 for $20. Did you sell it? No you got scammed

[@vasil3089]

@@angelikalaser7778 You're still selling it and getting ripped off but that's on you. Gotta get that heroin money somehow!

[@angelikalaser7778]

@@vasil3089 speak for yourself

[@forloop7713]

@@angelikalaser7778 this is false due to market efficiency a plasma donor would get almost 1000$ for plasma that costs 1000$

[@forcesightknight]

The only way to survive is to LEARN A TRADE, and start a business doing that on the side if you need to. Bottom line, your spare time isn't "free time" or "time off " anymore, one has to always be thinking how to make more money with your time.

[@Vagolyk]

At this point it is not the high fructose corn syrup (low quality food) that makes people in the states overweight, but overeating after periods of starvation.

[@transgendergorl7962]

We need to get rid of tipping and raise the minimum wage to $15-20 an hour. This is ridiculous

[@GaryVolts]

Get ready to see more self serve kiosks if you do that. Remember, labor and capital are interchangeable.

[@JASONHJEFFERSON]

truck drivers get ripped off alot more than most industries exempt from ot lots of free time waiting on loads or repairs and away from home sure i make 80k but i should be making 100k plus for 300 plus days on the road

[@gsp49]

If you raise the minimum wage, prices go up, so it doesn't help anything.

[@laraantipova389]

JASON JEFFERSON I’m sure everyone would say they are underpaid.

[@jas46721]

@@GaryVolts If people are paid more then they ALSO spend MORE which leads to - more profit for businesses. Self-serve kiosk implementation and the like, are a result of more people buying Online and the impact of the increasing influence from technology. This has nothing to do with a fair wage but rather a pitiful scapegoat argument propagated by the wealthy so they can abusive their staff and avoid paying for labour fairly given. No one can get away easily without paying for tangible goods but for intangible assets like services it's far easier and so the fast food business conglomerates do it. Things must change.

[@justjoe469]

I make 15 hour and live with my elderly mother I have no wife no kids and I still have a hard time making it. Florida Fort Myers.

[@gsp49]

If you can't make it on 15 an hour, something is wrong.

[@TheLamehipster]

@@gsp49 probably lives in ca or ny

[@peacefuldaizy5717]

@@TheLamehipster : I hear this all the time about NY, but I grew up in western NY, and it was very affordable.

[@gsp49]

@emmitte riddle think what you want, money represents a person's time and work, if people chose to squander it, they should remain poor.

[@monicaalva2423]

@@gsp49 There is nothing wrong; 15 an hour is not enough money for two people. Especially in the case of taking care of an elderly person, there are many expenses, including medical bills that you need to factor in. You should not be so quick to judge other people's situation.

[@juliekswanson]

I don’t understand why people continue to have children they can’t afford to support.

[@a_coconut_girl]

I actually used to live in Carmel, Indiana so I can confirm there are a lot of rich people, but the people are nice most of the time and the kids I went to school with were humble.

[@Dexy83]

What about trying to live on $7.25...that's not a livable wage, sorry.

[@gunslingingbird74]

In the SF Bay Area, someone making $45 an hour still has to have roommates and is living paycheck to paycheck. $7.25 an hour is unfathomable.

[@henrymccomments]

Gunslinging Bird Agree if you make below 117k in San Francisco you are considered low income

[@jadeolivia2443]

I think because minimum wage jobs are meant for high school kids. You don’t need a college education to make a good living. Construction pays amazing!

[@parkerwild2696]

@@jadeolivia2443 Did you not watch this? Its not a kid job anymore, its the only job.

[@mycatiswaysmarterthanmosto8500]

@James Page wrong. Guess how many yale educated jobless people I know? More than I can count on my fingers and toes.

[@antoniobrooks1113]

It’s so sad that these 2 women spent the entire video defending themselves for trying to do the best they can to support themselves and their families instead of attacking the system who refuses to gives its workers a livable wage. As a former server myself, I can attest that everything that said is true. I don’t know any server or bartender who has one job and most I know actually have college degrees but can’t find work in their fields. Even places that have strong job markets still pay service industry workers far less than any industry despite it being the fastest growing industry in the country.

[@choosefreedomisback8898]

Being a server is a low skill job. If a crackhead teenager can do it, It probably isn't worth all to much compared to being a tradesman or other profession.

[@antoniobrooks1113]

@@choosefreedomisback8898 please name one time you've been a restaurant that had a "crackhead teenager" as a server or bartender? You know "low skilled jobs" that actually have trade/college courses, that requires you to be at least 21 since you have to serve alcohol, which you can't do as a "crackhead teenager". Also, are you aware before covid-19, that servers and bartenders, who work in a strong enough market, can make over 50k a year? Highly doubt a "crackhead teenager" would be explain the differences between wine regions, steak cuts, proper dining etiquette, using POS systems but nice deflect.

[@DeniseRene407]

@@choosefreedomisback8898 Are you serious? A “crackhead teenager” would not be a successful server. I left a high paying job last year to go to nursing school full time. I decided to try being a server part time while in school. It is hard work and you have to know your sh*t (wine, steak cuts, memorize the menu, manage multiple tables at once and keep everyone happy)! Harder than the job I left making way more money. I quit after a couple of months. I currently work in a chaotic ER while I’m finishing school and even though I want to curse and pull my hair out some nights in the ER, I still do not work as hard as I did as a server. Also, a server at an upscale restaurant can make a lot of money. My husband and I tip a minimum of $50-60 when we eat at a nice steakhouse. Being a server/bartender absolutely requires skill. It is not a job that everyone can be successful at.

[@ladyofthecentury]

​@@DeniseRene407 A server is a no-skilled job & I've done it too. In EVERY job you have to memorize things and that is normal. LMOA!

[@mopes2713]

And the saddest part is that these people are all probably brain washed into voting Republican. So they will never ever try to fight to fix a fundamentally broken system. They are taught that everything is great the way it is, and that America is great the way that it is.