All this justification for no raising the minimum wage is fine and dandy until you realize the cable is off, the lights are off and those meals you were going to prepare will now be the dinner of the garbage can. There is no reason that we don't deserve a higher wage. Yes, we are unskilled laborers and that doesn't deserve the kind of excitement that other professions get, but why should be treated so horribly?
As harsh as this sounds, you are being paid what you are worth...to Target. Businesses set a rate at which they feel they can attract employees and maintain a profit. Until Target no longer attracts employees at the rate they pay, there is no reason to raise the wage, is there?
Everyone here knows that I call it like I see it, so I will say I am forced to agree with you. Realistically, you don't even need a high school diploma to work retail. And let's be real.... it doesn't require any brain power to do the job of most TMs compared to "real" jobs.
But, with that said, people seem to forget that an employment relationship is basically a *contract*. That is literally what being an employee is. You go to a company, offer to perform some work for them, and in exchange they agree to give you something. (in this case, money) It is the same as a contract to buy a car. You agree to give money to the owner of the car, and in exchange they give you the car. It is a legal contract.
Here is the problem.... in damn near *any* other business deal, do you just walk in and sign the contract without any negotiation? Would you walk in to a car dealership and say "Hey, I want to buy a car. Put a contract in front of me and I will sign it right now without any negotiation."? Would you sign a contract that John's Lawn Service puts in your face for lawn services before you read it? Would you sign a two year cell phone agreement without modifying features? (data limits, minutes, etc) HELL NO!
But when it comes to jobs, people are willing to suddenly "take the deal" without any thought what-so-ever.
This is why the government has stepped in with a minimum wage.... because, yes, there are too many idiots/suckers out there who would agree to work for 10 cents an hour at Target. These same suckers/idiots would also be the first ones to apply for welfare and/or start breaking in peoples homes when they can't take care of their bills on 10 cents an hour. In other words, the government has a vested interest in a minimum wage because such people wouldn't fight for anymore money from their employer, so they would be in absolute poverty and become a detriment to society in general.
When unions were abundant in the country, there wasn't such a need for things like the minimum wage.... because that is essentially what unions do. *Negotiate* the employment contract between employees and the company. In other words, getting a fair deal. The same way anyone with a brain negotiates a car before signing the purchase agreement.
But now unions are pretty much dead and there are too many fools out there who say "I am just happy to have a job. I don't care how abused and exploited I am. I will take any job I am offered even for 10 cents an hour".
So let me get back to my point with all of the above now said.
Target employees (and retail in general) are worth about minimum wage. I will give you that. The problem is, without minimum wage they would be paid *less than they are worth* because too many of them would just take anything Target gave them. (which I promise you would be way less than minimum wage) We can agree that anyone - even high school drop outs with zero skills and abilities doing manual labor work - are worth at a minimum $7.25/hour. So if we get rid of minimum wage we now have a problem because people are being paid less than the minimum they are worth.
So should the minimum wage be $15/hour.... no.... but should there be more ways for employees to make more money as they become more valuable? Hell yes. That is what we as a society need to be thinking of.... how to open up the door to that for people.