#EmployeeProductivity #Wages #Top1Percent #IncomeInequality #BernieSanders #WorkWeekBill
In the past 50 years, the productivity of American workers has skyrocketed by 140%, while wages have only increased by a mere 29%. The question on everyone’s mind is: where is the extra 110% going? Well, the answer lies in the hands of the top 1%, who have been stealing it for their own gain.
**The Productivity-Wage Gap**
– From 1970 to 2020, the average labor productivity in the United States has increased significantly by 140%. This means that workers today are producing 2.4 times more value than they did in 1970.
– However, hourly pay and compensation have not kept pace with the increased productivity, only growing by 29.6% over the same time period.
**Income Disparities**
– In the 1970s, the top 1% of earners made an average of $450,000 per year (adjusted for inflation). Fast forward to 2020, and the top 1% now earns an average of $1.4 million per year, marking a staggering 211% increase in their annual income.
– On the other hand, the bottom 90% of earners have only seen a 29.6% increase in their annual income from the 1970s to 2020.
**Theft of Increased Productivity**
– Essentially, the top 1% are stealing the increased productivity of the American workforce, enriching themselves at the expense of the bottom 90%.
– Lobbyists representing the interests of the top 1% are actively working against legislation that would ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth by either increasing wages or decreasing hours worked.
**Bernie Sanders’ 32-Hour Workweek Bill**
– Bernie Sanders has proposed a 32-hour workweek bill, which would be the first legislation since 1938 to reduce hours worked in the United States.
– Unfortunately, the bill faces significant opposition in Congress, as members have been influenced by lobbyists who prioritize the interests of the top 1% over the well-being of the American workforce.
**Taking a Stand**
– It is crucial for individuals to speak out against members of Congress who oppose Bernie Sanders’ 32-hour workweek bill.
– By holding these representatives accountable and voting them out of office, we can push for policies that prioritize the needs of the working class over the profits of the top 1%.
**Final Thoughts**
In conclusion, the battle for a shorter workweek is not just about extra time off—it’s a fight against decades of worker exploitation. The top 1% have been siphoning off the increased productivity of workers for their own gain, perpetuating income inequality and economic disparities. It is time for us to stand up against this exploitation and demand policies that benefit the many, not the few.
In the end, remember that the power lies in the hands of the people. Let’s use our voices and our votes to drive change and create a more just and equitable society for all. Let’s not let the top 1% continue to steal what rightfully belongs to the hardworking American workforce. Together, we can make a difference. #TimeForChange.
Yeah I won’t discredit that employers should benefit from investing into tools that increase productivity but employees should benefit too, either through increased pay and/ or decreased hours (without loss of pay).
But it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.
Wage labor has always been theft. Sure it’s worse now than it was in the 70’s, and probably better than it was in the 1800s early 1900s, but it’s still theft, and the system in and of itself is the problem not the margins IMO.
Ever notice how many billionaires we seem to have in America?
The same productivity happened in Europe yet they have robust worker protections and healthcare, only slightly fewer billionaires.
A good summation – your lying venal ratbastard politicians have been bought off for years. & considering the untold riches that favourable legislation, paper tiger regulatory bodies & good old fashioned turning a blind eye generate you have been sold down the river for a pittance. Not that this is a problem exclusive to the US, all countries in the ‘free’ west share the same shitty situation – but it does rather seem that the US has fitted it with twin turbo chargers & runs it on high octane fuel. & don’t look to the Supreme Court for any relief – the Judiciary in it’s entirety know which side of their investment portfolios are buttered.
I wish I could offer more in the way of hope or comfort but it’s a Herculean task that has been set before us …… I will however leave you with a little something/nothing of my own devising that’s been running around my head for years –
*Following the realisation that you have nothing comes the epiphany that it means you have nothing to lose. We are on a Great Adventure.*
The retail and service sectors already have the lowest paid employees and their solution has been to either increase the number of employees to stay under overtime hours or have fewer workers and just work them 70-80 hours a week to avoid the overhead of extra W-2 employees.
The more effective solution would be to raise the minimum wage by at least 25%, which would be about $9 an hour. Most states wouldn’t fight that as hard because the minimum wage is already higher in most of the country.
Yup. A blanket raise across the board of $50k is needed. Then a raise with inflation every year
Well remember… CEOs inspired us to be that productive, by means their boot straps. So if anything they deserve several hundred, if not thousands of times our pay.
/s