Next time you go into coffee shop, or a bar, or anyplace else that has basic fare and wait persons that serve you, ask that person what they make as an hourly wage. If they're new (and this isn't always the case), it is LESS than minimum wage because they receive tips. And the GOV taxes the tips too. Sub-minimum wage here in Colorado is still around $3 an hour I think. When I owned a bar 15 years ago, I didn't have to pay any of my staff that received tips as part of their compensation more than $2.10 an hour. I paid them all $7.50 to start, and got the best employees I could ever ask for!

Where am I going with this? Smart business owners don't need to be told what to pay good people for their work. Smart workers don't need to pay someone else to tell the business owners what their work is worth. ....if union is your life, expect criticism from folks like me. You can do better by being yourself on the job. Paying someone else to speak for you is lame. ...sorry if my words sound harsh, and please don't take them personally. You have to make your own decisions.

Bob