Why Canadian wages never seem to go up 🤔

[Gaius_Baltar]

You need to learn the history of price controls in the US. Trucking was (some say due to the power, at least at the time, of unions) a highly regulated industry. Those regulations basically turned the trucking industry into something akin to OPEC - a cartel. Price controls, barriers to entry, etc., etc., etc. It changed in the early 80's (in the 70's for other areas of transportation like rail and air) when the US government started to dismantle alot of the price controls and entry barriers. It's not that "someone" lowered truckers' wages/salaries due to "greed" - it's that their wages/pay was artificially high due to regulations that in essence restricted competition, and once the barriers to competition were removed, along came more truckers that bid the price of their service down. Now, if you want to paint it as "greed" - fair enough. Truckers were greedy, once the "rules" that were in essence limiting competition were removed - the shoe was on the other foot. I get it, it's "nice" to think about "this" or "that" group of people all making 6 figures, but let's face it - if you think inflation is a problem now, it'd be worse if truckers were all making 6 figures. And well, if you like cartels, so be it - but that just means we all pay more (whether that cartel is in diamonds, oil, taxi's, whatever).

I don't know anything about trucking but trucking isn't the only blue collar/unskilled industry where real wages are down. Minimum wage is 40% less than 50 years ago. On the other hand CEO salaries have skyrocketed and corporate tax rates are nowhere near where they were in the 1950's. You know, when America was great.

 

[Big_Guy_Rye]

but let's face it - if you think inflation is a problem now, it'd be worse if truckers were all making 6 figures.

They do....that have been for at least the last few decades.

People working in transportation, make equivalent to $25 - $30 per hour (different pay schemes than a per hour basis, but it works out to be around that wage). The reasoning behind such a number is because it most comprises of "blood money" the company pays to push a person's body past its limits. Imagine sleeping less than 8 hours within a 48 shift/trip. You're living on half the sleep that normal people get. While the company pushes and pushes you to move faster and work longer. ....next thing you know you've worked 100 hours a week, x$30 "per hour" = $3,000 per week = $12,000 month = $156,000 year. ....and that's just the minimum; the rest depends on what other perks the union contract can get for you.

Sure, it's unskilled labour, but there are people in this field with STEM degrees, and Red Seals doing this work, because that is where the money is at. If it gets you a house in this economy, people will do it.

TLDR: it's not "greed", it's "demand". it's the "economy".... If business are producing, and the trucks and trains are moving, they need whoever they can to move them. What would be the point in suggesting they make less, when they can work at McDonald's if these trucking companies think they can pay minimum wage just to keep par with everyone else?

 

[appleomac]

I don't know anything about trucking but trucking isn't the only blue collar/unskilled industry where real wages are down. Minimum wage is 40% less than 50 years ago. On the other hand CEO salaries have skyrocketed and corporate tax rates are nowhere near where they were in the 1950's. You know, when America was great.

Implying (which you are doing) that "blue collar" is the same thing as "unskilled" and therefore those groups make min wage is just WRONG. Blue collar workers (generally) ARE NOT making minimum wage. Unskilled is unskilled - and this may sound harsh - but if you are "unskilled", lack of skills is your problem, NOT minimum wage. Because, if you were skilled, you wouldn't be making minimum wage. A plumber is SKILLED (and "blue collar") and does NOT make minimum wage, a hair stylist is SKILLED and does NOT make minimum wage, etc., etc., etc.

 

[Kissmepassionately]

There are dog walkers pulling in over $100,000/year.

If someone is paid terribly in this day and age, start by looking at a mirror, and asking why.

Then do something about it, like getting into a trade, opening a small business, or any number of other things. That guy working on your car is probably making well over 100k a year, so why aren't you.