On the value of "First Jobs"
Why Are Politicians Killing Off "First Jobs"?
Excerpts:
What was your first job?
I stuck pieces of plastic and metal together at an Evanston, Ill., assembly line. We produced photocopiers for a company called American Photocopy.
I hated the work. It was hot and boring. But it was useful. It taught me to get good grades in school so I might have other choices.
...
I write about this because I’m appalled watching politicians kill off “first” jobs. (They say it’s to protect us.)
First, they raise the minimum wage. Forcing employers to pay $7.25 an hour leaves them reluctant to give unskilled kids a chance—why pay more than a worker can produce? So they offer fewer “first” jobs.Comment: My first job was working at a greenhouse making $ 1. per hour. I started in the Spring of 1967. That summer I worked 54 hours a week ... 6 days X 9 hours and made $ 54 hours a week.
What did I do?
- I boxed plants into flats and carried them and loaded them into a delivery truck
- I mulched plants with manure
- I blended potting soil: dirt, manure, and some other stuff in a large grinder / blower
- I wheeled old dirt out and new dirt into greenhouses
- I occassionally drove the delivery truck
- I cleaned out the boiler (had to crawl inside and scrape it)
- I cut weeds and tall grass with a scythe
- I hacked vines off from fence with a small axe
- I burned a giant brush pile
- I mowed the owner's home lawn
- I weeded the owner's private garden
- I picked weeds
- I cut flowers
- I walked along side of a bush hog and picked up rocks / sticks ahead of it
- I repaired greenhouse glass
- I bulked up, muscled up and tanned up. I sweated a lot!
- There were no sick days, PTO, or vacation days!
- A childhood friend's father committed suicide in the early morning hours of July 5th
- A guy I met at the greenhouse died in an auto accident - not that summer but later that year (I think Spring 1968)
- Two guys I knew well in H.S. died just after graduation. One: VW bug accident / other: tractor rolled over on him
