You Probably Need a Raise

You Probably Need a Raise by Moshe Adler: http://www.alternet.org/economy/147094/you_probably_need_a_raise/?page=entire

Moshe Adler believes that production of any kind comes through dedicated team work, and that the members of a team are to receive healthy wages that are not significantly lower than the ample wages employers often receive.

Concession: The indictment that hangs over society is that of “exploiting labor.” ... If this charge were proved, every right-minded man should become a socialist. ...

Support Points
-Production is carried out by teams
       -"A surgeon operates on a patient who was prepped for surgery by others; she uses tools that were sterilized and are handed to her by nurses who also operate machines without which the surgery would not have been possible."  "Every restaurant, grocery store or construction site is an example of team production."  Moshe Adler elaborates on a situation involving a propane company.  The shipment and production of that propane depends heavily on the combined efforts of the workers and could not be carried out without the workers.  "Such a company no doubt employs workers who fill the propane bottles, phone operators who take orders, technicians who maintain the equipment, forklift operators who load the bottles on trucks, drivers who distribute them to customers, and a manager who coordinates these activities."
-The income that production generates should be divided among members fairly
-The current method of dividing income is rooted in bargaining power,  which is a unjust and inadequate method



I would say that I agree with Adler's claim that production is a team effort that demands fair wage distribution.  Any company producing materials requires team work.  An oil rig miles out from shore needs engineers who are capable of repairing damaged equipment, workers deployed at the drill to extract the oil, workers who can properly store the oil, technicians who can monitor the complex systems of the oil rig for safety purposes, and a supervising team that keeps things in correct order.  We would have no gas for our cars if an oil rig didn't run as a team.  The team would fall apart if it lost a single part.  All parts of a team are vital, and I think it is wrong for anyone to claim that team work isn't neccassry for the success of a business or company.  Seeing as how any production needs teamwork, wage distribution should be fair and should not involve the "extremes" of wage distribution.  Why should a company owner who likely doesn't produce anything for his company earn thousands of more dollars than the worker with his sleeves rolled up, making production possible?  A hardworking coal miner who exposes himself to such extreme health hazards and even death earns a low wage and then comes home tired, dirty, and out of money.  The owner of the company is likely to be filthy rich while doing no kind of tough, physical labor.  There should not be such a gap between employees and employers.  Wealth should be more evenly spread so as to not condemn employees to an impoverished life style.