Forum Post: Please Consider This: 40 Times
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 11, 2011, 11:52 p.m. EST by vettezeppelin
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In 1969 the average CEO made 40 times what the average worker made. Now the average CEO makes over 400 times what the average worker makes. How about a platform item for OWS that would make it illegal for any 1 individual to earn more than 40 times what the average workers make at the organization they are associated with. This doesn't restrict people from making as much as they want but wealth is rarely created alone, it is usually done with the help of employees so it's only fair that they share in that wealth, this is a way to insure that happens!!
Why doesn't someone ask why people pay these CEOs 400 times? Do people want their services, are they worth their wages?
Corporate Boards typically determine a CEOs pay in a public company and we know that these boards have increasingly incestuous relationships with the CEO's and are more interested in protecting each other than anything else. I own a company and could never exploit the people who work for me like that. If your employees are worth 400 times less than you, then you shouldn't have them employed or you have an extreme overestimation of yourself!
I start a business and (of course) make myself CEO. Why can you tell ME, ME how much I can pay myself?
Example #2 more common: I am the majority shareholder in a corporation. For all extensive purposes, I own the corporation. Why can you tell ME how much I choose to pay the person I choose to be CEO?
not telling you how much you can pay yourself...only requiring that when do pay yourself that you only take 40 times what you pay on average the employees that work for you. For example if your companies average wage is 9.00 per hour, that means you can pay yourself 748,800 per year and still comply with the 40times criteria...of course if your company is so successful that you deserve more, you should get more and can get more but there will be others in the organization that contribute to that success as well so if you pay them more, that increases the overall average wage in your company and thus allows you as the owner to take more...now this shouldn't be an issue unless you like paying everyone who works for you 7.40 and hour while you make millions...if that's true than you fit right in with what's going on now in our country and I respectfully disagree with that precedent. Thank you for commenting on my post though!!
people can, and should, say that getting rich on the backs of your employees is wrong, and make a law against it. Business owners do deserve some more money, they take financial risks, but more then 40 times?