this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
509 points (98.8% liked)
Work Reform
10045 readers
627 users here now
A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I mean, I'd heard that this is how the labour market is supposed to work in theory, but I didn't realise that some CEOs were actually doing it. Corporate America does NOT want you to think about this.
I recently started at a private company that does profit sharing through ESOP. This year to all invested employees, so those more than ~1yr, they contributed around 30% of their annual salary in stock to their retirement. The private stock price rose about 32% from last year as well. On average the stock goes up 20%+ and the contributions have been around 18%. The founder and IG CEO found that companies that have an ESOP grow faster than others, and are happier. It takes 6 years for full investment, but after that, when you leave, they pay out your shares at that stock price, over a few payments I believe.
I bet it helps with employee retention as well.
I wasn't a believer when I started at an ESOP. But looking at my retirement funds after working for 8 years at the company. Then comparing it to friends who were given shares of large public companies and making maybe like 10k over 4 years. Absolutely worth it.
If I were eligible this year, it would have been >20k just given to me for retirement. They also contribute to 401k. It's nothing crazy but it's something on top of ESOP. I don't want to need to work until I'm to old to enjoy retirement, but my wife and I like to travel now. This helps do both.
And this is like tip of the iceberg bare minimum type shit, it's not even suggesting workers own the means of production or anything that radical, all it is is paying employees a more appropriate share of the profits (the company is still making an obscene amount of that profit, and the employees are still under paid for their labour, it's how the pyramid scheme we call capitalism works, but this is proof that even while continuing to roll in billions, other employers don't have to be keeping their employees on poverty wages, they choose to).
Why would workers own the means of production if they didn’t set up the business in the first place? It’s just a hired labour. If you hire someone to do something this doesn’t mean they should suddenly have a part of that thing.
You can set up your own thing together with the workers and pool and borrow to fund it and then you own the means of production. It’s already possible https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_cooperative
Just go and do it or join the existing one. There’s like plenty of them here. And if there isn’t at your location it’s still better to act than complain.