What was your minimum wage? (Page 9): That it is Ruff very interesting. Recently shoe shiners are being mentioned. Never would have guessed there was a need for a shoe shiner. In my...

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

RuffplayOR57 wrote:

Interesting post plum, funny how all the kids now think they should start at the Top of the Pay Scale. I started out picking potatoes, sack hooked on belt hooks and waking a row of ripped up taters for 25 cents a bag, a in the 1960’s. First 8 hour job was $3.50 an hour I believe, 1976 working as a Lube jockey at a Buick/Jeep dealership.

That it is Ruff very interesting. Recently shoe shiners are being mentioned. Never would have guessed there was a need for a shoe shiner.

In my little world back then, Pf Flyer shoes didn't need shining. Hard enough hooking street skates on them.

sytheteacher Loc: Brooklyn N.Y.

I 1958 or so I was making $1.25 a week working for a mechanic shop feeding their Rottweilers seven days a week and cleaning up the yard from all the dog doodie.. Then I started hanging around and became the shop go for and graduated to $5.00 a week but still had to take care of the dog.. I worked my way through high school and collage as a mechanic.. And in 1970 I purchased a brand new Plymouth GTX... Great old days....

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Able Man wrote:

¿Did you "miss" those 2× "key words"? = "Union job"... Love'em, or hate'em; if there'd NEVER been such a thing as a union job; I can only imagine how different life would have been, even for those, who never had a union job... The "owners" who were "dead-set against having a union" involved in THEIR business, were somewhat FORCED to "act right"; to keep the unions OUT!!

No I didn't Able , I was in the AFL-CIO at the store I worked at. For that matter, the first 2 Screw machine shops I worked at were UAW. Union or not, l just can't believe that a part time, kid, stocking shelves was making MORE than the National Average hourly wage. That's all I'm saying.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Fredfish wrote:

No I didn't Able , I was in the AFL-CIO at the store I worked at. For that matter, the first 2 Screw machine shops I worked at were UAW. Union or not, l just can't believe that a part time, kid, stocking shelves was making MORE than the National Average hourly wage. That's all I'm saying.

Yeah, I gotchya, Fred...

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Able Man wrote:

50¢/hour for picking up rocks out of the fields, p... (show quote)

I guess I left out, that kennel job, in Baton Rouge, also included "douching" out all the (now) empty cages, after having moved the critters into the clean cages, which we (me and 1 other guy, my age, which was 17) had already placed fresh food and water, into the clean cages... Then, "sanitizing" all of "yesterday's food and water bowls. Also; I was "called upon", to "restrain" (just using my hands, {inside of good thick leather &/or rubber gloves}), while "the Dog Groomer" would give'em "a snip-snip here; and a snip-snip there..."; also, while she shampooed them... A young man SURE came to understand the benefits of using "personal protective equipment"; when that college girl got to "shampooing" them frickin' kitty-cats!!! ... The "groomer" was a student at LSU; just down the road a piece.
Yeah, also, I'm thinking that the "pay-rate" was $2.35/hour; but, can't recall with a true certainty; but, I think it was a 40× hours a week job. ... Almost exactly 50 miles, one-way; from home!!

Harris T. Fudpucker Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

Able Man wrote:

¿We're those "Nutria pelts", Harris T.?... I know prices were down to 35¢, when a neighbor of mine was killing them; y THAT was in the mid-1970's... Could be, that my "CRS" is "fooling with me" again... I helped a guy run his crawfish traps one year, outta Belle River, but; I was nowhere near "desperate", and he didn't really NEED the help; so, no money changed hands outta that; got free room and board and ate like a Cajun King, for a couple of weeks.

Most of them were, but back in the 60's that wasn't bad income. I also sold alligator, before people started eating them. LOL We gave the meat to the dogs. The big dollar was on bobcat. I got close to 60 cents per. Able, the crawfish is very high right now. My most per pound was only .38 per, now it is in the dollar figure per, sometimes two dollars a pound.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Harris T. Fudpucker wrote:

Most of them were, but back in the 60's that wasn't bad income. I also sold alligator, before people started eating them. LOL We gave the meat to the dogs. The big dollar was on bobcat. I got close to 60 cents per. Able, the crawfish is very high right now. My most per pound was only .38 per, now it is in the dollar figure per, sometimes two dollars a pound.

¡¡Wow!! ... You're "making me" want to invest in some chicken wire, to get ready for NEXT year! (Ain't no way, I could "do anything about it, THIS year.)

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

plumbob wrote:

That it is Ruff very interesting. Recently shoe shiners are being mentioned. Never would have guessed there was a need for a shoe shiner.

In my little world back then, Pf Flyer shoes didn't need shining. Hard enough hooking street skates on them.

I had DRUNK Loggers come in the shop with their "CORKS" on, wanting a shine. Several were so intoxicated that they had peed themselves and their crotches were wet. They wanted a shine, I gave them a shine! Of course not that mirror shine that I would put on a nice pair of shoes. This was good training for me for when I was in Boot Camp and beyond.

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Kerry Hansen wrote:

I had DRUNK Loggers come in the shop with their "CORKS" on, wanting a shine. Several were so intoxicated that they had peed themselves and their crotches were wet. They wanted a shine, I gave them a shine! Of course not that mirror shine that I would put on a nice pair of shoes. This was good training for me for when I was in Boot Camp and beyond.

" boot camp " Oh the memories of shinning boots, shoes, and hat brim there are enough to say glad those days are done with.

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

plumbob wrote:

" boot camp " Oh the memories of shinning boots, shoes, and hat brim there are enough to say glad those days are done with.

Spit shining, pouring alcohol on them and setting fire to it.

jlf1938 Loc: Acworth, GA

Seventy-five cents per hour.