Minimum Wage laws...

[retributionnk]

While well-intentioned, I think they're unnecessary, and do more harm than good. I'll use an analogy, as I oft like to do: McDonald's restaurant has a program for inner-city high school students. This program is essentially training for a shift manager-like position at a local McD's. The only catch is, you have to do an unpaid internship for a summer. This would be an excellent way to help unskilled workers get and maintain a job, yet it's outlawed.

A common argument I hear for the minimum wage law is that if there weren't one, everyone would be paid very low salaries, and people would starve. My counterpoint to that would be that if people starting getting paid less, the market would adjust, and goods and services would cost less. That is the very nature of a free market. Anyone have a differing opinion?

[Richard Burns]

I kinda agree with u the more minimum wage goes up the more things cost and it's a cycle plus the fact that minimum wage is not enough to live on and is used to keep the working class slaves of the rich

[dk]

I'm sorry, a whole summer of work for no money??? **** that!

I'd probably do illegal stuff if working for free at McD's was the best thing available for me.

But, yes, I do agree with what you are saying.

[Richard Burns]

As far as your mcdonalds example is concerned I think that's no good because the whole point of anyone working at mcds is because they are desperate for money also I think the rich fat cats would just use that so called program to get richer and save money

[dk]

I agree with Richard. Shoot, that's why I'd hire interns! :D

Mickey D's don't need no damn interns. A software company, I can see being good experience for the interns, maybe. But McD's, no...

[retributionnk]

I'm sorry, a whole summer of work for no money??? **** that!

I'd probably do illegal stuff if working for free at McD's was the best thing available for me.

As a kid in high school? I would've taken an unpaid internship for a summer, knowing that come fall I'd have a job as lower-level management, which pays a salary, not hourly (at least that's how Burger King was when I was a kid, don't know about McD's). After a year or 2 you get health bennies, a 401k, etc... that's a sweet deal for someone who doesn't have the aptitude or aspiration for college.

edit: I'm not saying it's right for everyone, I'm just saying that minimum wage laws are prohibiting things like this from happening, sans a few exceptions.

[Richard Burns]

Not to mention that fast food jobs are some of the hardest around

[dk]

As a kid in high school? I would've taken an unpaid internship for a summer, knowing that come fall I'd have a job as lower-level management, which pays a salary, not hourly (at least that's how Burger King was when I was a kid, don't know about McD's). After a year or 2 you get health bennies, a 401k, etc... that's a sweet deal for someone who doesn't have the aptitude or aspiration for college.

edit: I'm not saying it's right for everyone, I'm just saying that minimum wage laws are prohibiting things like this from happening, sans a few exceptions.

I made more money as a lifeguard as a teenager than JapanUpdate pays me... You don't need to know how to do anything except swim to do that...

Inner city, maybe that's not available. But I still wouldn't be willing to put in a eight hour day for nothing. That's criminal...

[Richard Burns]

[QUOTE=retributionnk;222390]As a kid in high school? I would've taken an unpaid internship for a summer, knowing that come fall I'd have a job as lower-level management, which pays a salary, not hourly (at least that's how Burger King was when I was a kid, don't know about McD's). After a year or 2 you get health bennies, a 401k, etc... that's a sweet deal for someone who doesn't have the aptitude or aspiration for college.

edit: I'm not saying it's right for everyone, I'm just saying that minimum wage laws are prohibiting things like this from happening, sans a few exceptions.[Wow now that is an ok deal I didn't know that kinda like the 3 months of boot camp then ok pay and good benefits

[retributionnk]

As far as your mcdonalds example is concerned I think that's no good because the whole point of anyone working at mcds is because they are desperate for money also I think the rich fat cats would just use that so called program to get richer and save money

You're right, businesses would be better off, and so would the kids they're employing. Mutual benefit is a beautiful thing. The company saves a dime, and the kids get valuable work/management experience.

[dk]

Not to mention that fast food jobs are some of the hardest around

Hard as in difficult? Or hard as in hustle?

Also, you go home smelling like french fries every damn day.

I worked at BK when I was 15...

[dk]

You're right, businesses would be better off, and so would the kids they're employing. Mutual benefit is a beautiful thing. The company saves a dime, and the kids get valuable work/management experience.

Seriously, if ten kids are doing this internship, being promised a job at the end of the summer, what, are they all going to be given management positions? People don't deserve management positions after a summer internship. They deserve a job, maybe, if they work out. That's all...

[retributionnk]

I made more money as a lifeguard as a teenager than JapanUpdate pays me... You don't need to know how to do anything except swim to do that...

Inner city, maybe that's not available. But I still wouldn't be willing to put in a eight hour day for nothing. That's criminal...

How is it criminal when it's agreed upon? Both parties consent, and are old enough to understand the agreement. To you, it may be stupid. But since when is stupidity a criminal offense, subjective as it is?

[Richard Burns]

You're right, businesses would be better off, and so would the kids they're employing. Mutual benefit is a beautiful thing. The company saves a dime, and the kids get valuable work/management experience.


Yes but with the money that corporation makes why not pay the kids minimum wage which is damn near nothing anyway and at the end of the summer give em themanager job

[Tanimaga]

Wouldn't this be a form of apprentice training? Like the machine tool trade.. volunteer for work in a machine shop, get taught the skills.. once you become somewhat proficient, you start doing the simple jobs and cleanup.. then after a set period of time, when you are deemed trustworthy and competent, your set loose as a machinist., then master machinist comes with your very own Padawan.

[retributionnk]

Yes but with the money that corporation makes why not pay the kids minimum wage which is damn near nothing anyway and at the end of the summer give em themanager job

There are no laws against making money, nor should there be. Now, in a competitive market, your proposal might just happen. But as a trainee (in the military for example), you're more of a hindrance than a help for a while (not to say that there's a huge learning curve in fast food). And if you're costing the company money to train you, that should be able to be taken from your pay. I was just pointing out that minimum wage laws tend to hinder programs like low-paid or un-paid internships, and help inflate currency. It wasn't my intention to draw out the McDonald's example. =)

[retributionnk]

Seriously, if ten kids are doing this internship, being promised a job at the end of the summer, what, are they all going to be given management positions? People don't deserve management positions after a summer internship. They deserve a job, maybe, if they work out. That's all...

I think programs like this one would stimulate competition, and ultimately drive the competency of the work force as a whole upward. And that's exactly how most managers are trained now. They submit a manager application, those applications are screened and vetted, and then training starts. They start with the fryer, and move to the back office in a matter of a few months.

[dk]

Sorry, if this wasn't McD's and was actually a decent job, I might agree with you. But like I said, this is McD's.

And if you're costing the company money to train you, that should be able to be taken from your pay.
Oh come on now, that's just stingy... These workers are an investment. I can't think of a single company that has ever put me through training that docked my pay so I could learn whatever it is that they wanted to teach me... Seriously, if my current job took money out of my paycheck for Sharepoint training, I'd probably have flown back to the states since, in my opinion, at that point obviously there wouldn't be a worthwhile company to work for on Okinawa. :p

The fact that these kids want to come to work should be seen as something worth investing in. Pay these kids' damn minimum wage. Everybody will sleep better. That's better than free labor in exchange for "experience". Seriously, I doubt many employers are going to look at some kid who interned at McD's and say, "Wow, that kid has POTENTIAL with a capital P!"

[Richard Burns]

There are no laws against making money, nor should there be. Now, in a competitive market, your proposal might just happen. But as a trainee (in the military for example), you're more of a hindrance than a help for a while (not to say that there's a huge learning curve in fast food). And if you're costing the company money to train you, that should be able to be taken from your pay. I was just pointing out that minimum wage laws tend to hinder programs like low-paid or un-paid internships, and help inflate currency. It wasn't my intention to draw out the McDonald's example. =)

very good points

[dk]

How is it criminal when it's agreed upon? Both parties consent, and are old enough to understand the agreement. To you, it may be stupid. But since when is stupidity a criminal offense, subjective as it is?

Sorry. Wrong word. Criminal in my mind. Robbery. Earning extra profits at the expense of kids' time that they could be spending at a more worthwhile job. :p

[Richard Burns]

Hard as in difficult? Or hard as in hustle?

Also, you go home smelling like french fries every damn day.

I worked at BK when I was 15...

Hard as in running around getting bitches at sweating ur balls off on your feet all day and getting paid garbage

Now construction was also hard but paid great so it's worth it but fast food blows

[retributionnk]

Sorry, if this wasn't McD's and was actually a decent job, I might agree with you. But like I said, this is McD's.


Oh come on now, that's just stingy... These workers are an investment. I can't think of a single company that has ever put me through training that docked my pay so I could learn whatever it is that they wanted to teach me... Seriously, if my current job took money out of my paycheck for Sharepoint training, I'd probably have flown back to the states since, in my opinion, at that point obviously there wouldn't be a worthwhile company to work for on Okinawa. :p

The fact that these kids want to come to work should be seen as something worth investing in. Pay these kids' damn minimum wage. Everybody will sleep better. That's better than free labor in exchange for "experience". Seriously, I doubt many employers are going to look at some kid who interned at McD's and say, "Wow, that kid has POTENTIAL with a capital P!"

Again, McD's is just an example, and I'm sure you have a high school education, and have probably been to college, so it's reasonable that this type of program might seem silly to you. Someone who has no potential for college might see things differently, however. And as far as taking money out of one's paycheck for training, it happens even though you may not know it. Why do you think some employees with certain certifications/proficiencies get paid more for having them? A perfect example, going back to McDonalds: once you become a manager, vice a regular worker, you have the skill set that allows you to do things like calculate hourly revenues, make bank drops, etc.

Again, the McDonald's analogy may not have been the best. However, your language gives off a strong scent that this is somehow fraudulent on the company's behalf. It is not in any way fraudulent. It takes two to tango, and if someone thinks that a program like this would be beneficial, that's his/her decision. While I won't argue with your opinion on these programs being stupid, I will ask you if you think they shouldn't exist. People who don't wear seat belts are stupid, that doesn't mean they're criminals.

[dk]

Personally, I just find this to be a lot more greedy than just paying the kids minimum wage. Those who want to work will work. At the very least, give them something to take home. Credits. Hamburgers. Gift cards. Whatever. But the word "good experience" is thrown around so much and used to take advantage of the overly-trusting and gullible. I've had that phrase thrown at myself a few times at the very least. A guy last year tried to offer me a job for $1000 a month with the idea that the better he does, the better I do and that it would be a "good experience." Come on... I'm not going to leave my home for less than <my amount>, and I positively wouldn't want ANY kid to be working for free unless it was for a potentially lucrative job. Lets say that a software company was looking to hire inner-city kids who have an ambition for the web for a summer for nothing other than a guarantee of a job at such and such a date. THAT, would positively be beneficial. These kids would be picking up knowledge that could positively get them out of a bad situation. However, and I know you said that McD's was a bad example, you still DID use McD's... :p

Yes, I have high school, college, and graduate work, but I've been taken advantage of by greedy people in my time, and this just smells bad to me. Or it smells like something that WOULD be taken advantage of by the greedy, at the very least. This isn't just something that the uneducated will understand...

[dk]

Hard as in running around getting bitches at sweating ur balls off on your feet all day and getting paid garbage

Now construction was also hard but paid great so it's worth it but fast food blows

That's not hard (as in difficult). That's hard work. That's hustle. And hustle sucks...

Here is my absolute favorite quote on programming--slightly off-topic, but on-topic as far as hard work is concerned.

Hustle is extra, unnecessary effort. It shows that you’re eager but not that you’re getting your work done. It’s easy to confuse motion with progress, busy-ness with being productive. The most important work in effective programming is thinking, and people tend not to look busy when they’re thinking. If I worked with a programmer who looked busy all the time, I’d assume that he was not a good programmer because he wasn’t using his most valuable tool, his brain. (Code Complete)
I don't do busy work. That shit isn't hard. It's just busy.

[dk]

Yes but with the money that corporation makes why not pay the kids minimum wage which is damn near nothing anyway and at the end of the summer give em themanager job

Exactly!!!! If you're looking to make some managers, anyway, put them through a program. Make it COMPETITIVE, and turn the winners into leaders/managers.

[retributionnk]

Personally, I just find this to be a lot more greedy than just paying the kids minimum wage. Those who want to work will work. At the very least, give them something to take home. Credits. Hamburgers. Gift cards. Whatever. But the word "good experience" is thrown around so much and used to take advantage of the overly-trusting and gullible. I've had that phrase thrown at myself a few times at the very least. A guy last year tried to offer me a job for $1000 a month with the idea that the better he does, the better I do and that it would be a "good experience." Come on... I'm not going to leave my home for less than <my amount>, and I positively wouldn't want ANY kid to be working for free unless it was for a potentially lucrative job. Lets say that a software company was looking to hire inner-city kids who have an ambition for the web for a summer for nothing other than a guarantee of a job at such and such a date. THAT, would positively be beneficial. These kids would be picking up knowledge that could positively get them out of a bad situation. However, and I know you said that McD's was a bad example, you still DID use McD's... :p

Yes, I have high school, college, and graduate work, but I've been taken advantage of by greedy people in my time, and this just smells bad to me. Or it smells like something that WOULD be taken advantage of by the greedy, at the very least. This isn't just something that the uneducated will understand...

Someone's got to work at McDonald's, dk. There's a demand for cheeseburgers, and that demand will be filled by an entrepeneur, regardless of laws. And for the record, I don't think an unpaid internship is someone being taken advantage of. Radio stations, government officials, and other entities hire unpaid interns with no repercussions, but a fast food company can't do it at all. Most unpaid radio interns end up not even working in the radio industry, yet no one complains, because the FCC regulates it with bureaucracy. If the government had already excepted itself from this law for "the public good," then why can't a private company do it? The government is involved too much in the wage process. Things would be more fair, and less complex if the government stop deciding that the poor had more rights than the rich. We all have equal rights. If two individuals engage in a work contract, say a 2-month unpaid internship for a guaranteed salary with bennies, then those consenting individuals should be able to do as they please. I don't see anyone so stupid as to accept that offer not thinking they could gain something from it...

[dk]

They start with the fryer, and move to the back office in a matter of a few months.

Why do you even think that these kids would be ready for management, though, after just going through some summer internship? There's going to be a shitload of animosity when some high school kid is ordering around some thirty-year-old single mother of three kids just because he went to summer management training.... These kids aren't ready for management after a summer. Well, at least not in the McD's example. They'll understand the process, but I highly doubt many of them will truly be ready to lead or that people will be willing to follow.

Management is bullshit anyway (at many levels). Lead, take pride in your work, and people will follow you anyway, whether or not you get to wear a tie to work or the fry-smelling purple polo shirt.

[retributionnk]

Exactly!!!! If you're looking to make some managers, anyway, put them through a program. Make it COMPETITIVE, and turn the winners into leaders/managers.

I think programs like this one would stimulate competition, and ultimately drive the competency of the work force as a whole upward. And that's exactly how most managers are trained now...

The fact that apps would be reviewed and vetted makes it competitive, and would drive otherwise unmotivated kids to do better in school, etc.

[dk]

Someone's got to work at McDonald's, dk. There's a demand for cheeseburgers, and that demand will be filled by an entrepeneur, regardless of laws. And for the record, I don't think an unpaid internship is someone being taken advantage of. Radio stations, government officials, and other entities hire unpaid interns with no repercussions, but a fast food company can't do it at all. Most unpaid radio interns end up not even working in the radio industry, yet no one complains, because the FCC regulates it with bureaucracy. If the government had already excepted itself from this law for "the public good," then why can't a private company do it? The government is involved too much in the wage process. Things would be more fair, and less complex if the government stop deciding that the poor had more rights than the rich. We all have equal rights. If two individuals engage in a work contract, say a 2-month unpaid internship for a guaranteed salary with bennies, then those consenting individuals should be able to do as they please. I don't see anyone so stupid as to accept that offer not thinking they could gain something from it...
Sure, they can do whatever they want! But I'd be quicker to recommend a two-month internship flipping burgers and getting drunk helping Sex Wax code the Fujiyama website than not getting paid to learn how to flip burgers on a gas grill at a fast food joint...

Yeah, I know somebody has to flip the burgers, but I see the BK/McD example as basically the lowest of the lowest of the low in terms of opportunities to learn. Seriously, go work for Sex Wax... He won't pay you, but you'll probably get some food to take home, and you'll be learning a little about web development. That's how you teach a man to fish...

[dk]

The fact that apps would be reviewed and vetted makes it competitive, and would drive otherwise unmotivated kids to do better in school, etc.

In my first response, I mentioned that I agree with your idea. I just don't agree with it with fast food and other silly jobs. Seriously, what's next? Intern janitors?

[retributionnk]

I understand your argument, dk. But I do think that some person somewhere in the US would legitimately benefit from the McD's situation I talked about. I don't think it's for everyone (or even a vast majority of the populace), but I do think it is for someone. The guy who has no computer skills, no vocational skills, etc. It is an extreme example, but I bet it would work in some places. And current statute prohibits that potential; that's all.

edit: I also empathize with your argument. I would never take such a position, but I would never deny someone that opportunity (as you already have said, you agree with.)

[uriel]

I can think of one way it would most likely be taken advantage of:

some kid does your summer internship thing throughout the summer, busts his ass at it, and is pretty good. well, mr manageriwanttosavethecompanysomemoney man decides that's what he'll do, save the company some money, so he makes up some bs excuse to fire the guy right before it's time to hire him and actually pay him, and bam, 3 months of free work. it's already being done in MI for example. my brother worked at Dow Chemical and was a "temporary hire" and was told that if he did good work he would more than likely be hired "full time" (they were already working 38 hours, but that's besides the point). every single one of the people who were "temporary hires" were "laid off" at about 88 days on the job. bitch of it is, 90 days gets you med, dental, and a retirement account. less than that? thanks for helping us out. they do this constantly. is this illegal? yes, but all those who are laid off get a counseling of sorts and is given some bs reason why they can't get full time employment. that's just taking advantage of someone in general, now throw the no pay factor in there and you're just itching for people to get railroaded.

there's a reason minimum wage has been set in each state, and i for one think it should stay. yeah, yeah, the market will balance itself out, but until then are you going to feed those who're waiting for it to balance?

[retributionnk]

I can think of one way it would most likely be taken advantage of:

some kid does your summer internship thing throughout the summer, busts his ass at it, and is pretty good. well, mr manageriwanttosavethecompanysomemoney man decides that's what he'll do, save the company some money, so he makes up some bs excuse to fire the guy right before it's time to hire him and actually pay him, and bam, 3 months of free work. it's already being done in MI for example. my brother worked at Dow Chemical and was a "temporary hire" and was told that if he did good work he would more than likely be hired "full time" (they were already working 38 hours, but that's besides the point). every single one of the people who were "temporary hires" were "laid off" at about 88 days on the job. bitch of it is, 90 days gets you med, dental, and a retirement account. less than that? thanks for helping us out. they do this constantly. is this illegal? yes, but all those who are laid off get a counseling of sorts and is given some bs reason why they can't get full time employment. that's just taking advantage of someone in general, now throw the no pay factor in there and you're just itching for people to get railroaded.

there's a reason minimum wage has been set in each state, and i for one think it should stay. yeah, yeah, the market will balance itself out, but until then are you going to feed those who're waiting for it to balance?

What you're talking about is fraud, and there are legal actions that can be taken if the circumstances are as you say. As for the comment about the market balancing, etc, I think you're grossly misjudging the situation. Businesses have SO many ways of exploiting laws currently. Tax loopholes, insider trading, the list goes on for a mile. Being rid of these laws, and actually holding companies accountable for fraud completely eliminates the need for a minimum wage. If a company hires people for absolutely dismal pay, chances are no one will want to work there, and that company will fail.

And as for your comment of "who's going to feed...", that is always a personal responsibility. The government should not be forcing money out of anyone's hands to pay for charity programs like welfare. The concept of government charity is just silly. I have no right to hold a gun to your head and say "I need to feed my family, give me 20 bucks." But the government can do that with tax dollars to fund programs that I don't even agree with, let alone participate in, and I really don't see the difference between the two. Different topic altogether, but it was touched on, so I figured I'd give my two cents.

[Richard Burns]

All very good points but I do agree not with the McDonald's example but the point that things could trun around if the government backed off and let people make decisions for themselves.

If there was no minimum wage you would have more competition. Plus minimum wage aint enough to live on anyway so if its there or not is really no difference.

[Richard Burns]

And as for your comment of "who's going to feed...", that is always a personal responsibility.

How is minimum wage forcing money out of anyone?

[Richard Burns]

I say either NO minimun wage at all OR raise minimum wage to at least enough to actually survive on.

[Richard Burns]

Or what about making all job provide med/dental inurance hmmmm

[retributionnk]

How is minimum wage forcing money out of anyone?

That wasn't the point I was making with that statement... I know that paragraph was all over the place though, so I'll clarify:

my statement about personal responsibility had little to do with minimum wage, and more to do with uriel's asking me if I was willing to pay for an individual's needs while the 'market adjusted.' My train of thought led to me asking, "Why should I have be forced to give the product of my labor to anyone?"

That led to the conclusions I was drawing about systems like welfare being nothing more than a form of theft. Sorry for the confusion.

[Richard Burns]

That wasn't the point I was making with that statement... I know that paragraph was all over the place though, so I'll clarify:

my statement about personal responsibility had little to do with minimum wage, and more to do with uriel's asking me if I was willing to pay for an individual's needs while the 'market adjusted.' My train of thought led to me asking, "Why should I have be forced to give the product of my labor to anyone?"

That led to the conclusions I was drawing about systems like welfare being nothing more than a form of theft. Sorry for the confusion.

I think wefare the way it is intended to be is a GREAT thing and I would love to help support it.
I think the problem in America is that the programs are abused. Welfare as a saftly for somebbody that lost their job for a couple months while they look for something new is fine. The problem is the ppl who manipulate the system and try to live off it.

[retributionnk]

I think wefare the way it is intended to be is a GREAT thing and I would love to help support it.
I think the problem in America is that the programs are abused. Welfare as a saftly for somebbody that lost their job for a couple months while they look for something new is fine. The problem is the ppl who manipulate the system and try to live off it.

I agree to a point. I think that welfare, if it were true charity, is an awesome concept. However, government forced charity, in the form of welfare is nothing more than theft. I believe strongly in the concept of self-ownership, and in owning oneself, I believe that one is entitled to the fruit of one's labor. No one should be able to tell someone what to do with their own money. As for those who manipulate the system, I'd venture a guess that there's one of those people for every 5 who are kept down by that same system, and are forced to stay out of work to make enough money to survive... hey maybe that's a result of the dismal minimum wage!

[0341isa]

What yuo mentioned sonds more like unemployment insurance, which is different from welfare.

As for minimum wage, it's kind of neccessary. "competition" among businesses to employ a minimum wage level employee is nonexistant. Mc'Donalds VS. some poor sap who never finished high school? Please. McD's doesn't need or give a damn about him. They will pay him a little as legally allowed, and if he won;t accept it, they will replace him by the afternoon.

THink about it. If these businesses were really going to have to compete with each other in what they pay employees, minumum wage wouldn't matter. They would be competing now, offering more than the next place, but are they? Hell no. They're like 5.75 hr. take it or leave it junior.

After all, that's why Mc'D and others like them have what appears to be targeted hiring or something. They always seem to find the group they can pay the least. NOtice the trends? They went from high school kids, to mentally challenged, back to high school kids, to senior citizens, to immigrants who still don't speak good enough english to get a job anywhere else.

[0341isa]

When I was a kid, McD was a first job. Clear and simple. Just an easy job to get for a young kid, with no qualifications or experience at anything. It was actually pretty good in that sense. I mean, it was still a shitty job, but 16 yr olds are supposed to have shitty jobs. When I have a kid I want thier first job to be Mc'donaldesque.

Its a way for a 16 yr old kid to have a little pocket cash for gas and taking chicks on dates. I also think the experience is good. Not "experience" like McD would try to sell you (Unless you need on the job training for a career flipping burgers?)

But for a 16 yr old kid, they get the experience of hard work, esp hard work for low pay, being places on time, all the responsibility of having a real job, plus learning about the value of money, etc etc. (I thought Sounded dumb when my parents said it, but they were right. You really don't understand money until you have earn it yourself, and wait two weeks between checks to get it.)

[retributionnk]

...As for minimum wage, it's kind of neccessary. "competition" among businesses to employ a minimum wage level employee is nonexistant. Mc'Donalds VS. some poor sap who never finished high school? Please. McD's doesn't need or give a damn about him. They will pay him a little as legally allowed, and if he won;t accept it, they will replace him by the afternoon.

THink about it. If these businesses were really going to have to compete with each other in what they pay employees, minumum wage wouldn't matter. They would be competing now, offering more than the next place, but are they? Hell no. They're like 5.75 hr. take it or leave it junior....

I see you haven't been in the market for a minimum wage job recently, perhaps? The competition you're talking about already exists. Negotiable starting salaries, incremental wage bumps, hell Burger King has a 401k for its minimum wage employees!

The lower a company is willing to pay, the lower the bar is set in terms of competence expected for their hires. As you have a less competent employee base, productivity decreases, while turnover rates and overhead costs from lack of productivity increase greatly. Therefore, even for jobs like McD's, it's smart for them to pay a reasonable wage to attract a laborer fit for the job, as a dumber person will accept less money for the same job, naturally. So despite all that 'corporate greed,' even McDonald's has a bar they'll set for level of skill and/or competency required to become an employee. Otherwise, inefficiency would rule the day, and McDonald's would see a drop in profit margins until they fixed their company. What a better way to attract the right crowd then to give them the proper wage?

By your logic, I should go to a law firm and get hired as an attorney, because hey, they'll take what they can get right? Why hire a lawyer when you can hire me for a mere $40 an hour? That's less than lawyers make, right?
I do understand the disparity in skill between lawyers and McDonald's employees, however, this stands as an example why minimum wage is unnecessary. In any field that pays more than minimum wage, that competition is already in full swing, and it almost always results in wage increases. Why not allow minimum wage-paying businesses to compete freely as well?