- by Laura Webster Crawford

if you believe that our current system of business is a free market, you have obviously missed the most recent collusion scandal over bread pricing the last 10 years. Good for a slap on the wrist to companies and a $25 grocery card offer to the overcharged customer. Government won't fine and charge business or industry and make it stick. CEOs don't go to jail for price rigging or overcharging customers.

What makes Walmart such a success - in the States - is there are areas where they pay so poorly, their full time staff may have to go to food banks. It wouldn't surprise me if the same thing happened here.
A worker, regardless of their job, deserves to earn a living wage, and not have to rely on social services or tax rebates to make ends meet.

I'm well aware of the lack of people moving into trades. But people over about the age of 25, don't necessarily qualify for assistance on (re)training, it can take a long time to get all of the qualifications (neither here nor there) and you still must work for an employer, who may or may not value you as an employee, or pay for your training. Not everyone can afford the risk of becoming their own business.

The Sears debacle is an example of foreign ownership gone bad and executives who walked off with millions in bonuses, on the backs of dedicated employees and retirees.

Michigan is an example of right to work legislation, aka pay as little as you can to the people who make and/or serve your product, while laughing all the way to the bank. It was designed to destroy unions and cares little about the health, safety or well-being of employees.

Maybe instead of being against a minimum wage, you should be against bosses making more than 10 times the salary of their lowest paid employee.

Kindly remember that the only time you should look down at someone is when you are offering them a hand up.