https://www.yahoo.com/news/barely-surviving-flight-attendants-facing-143205729.html

Flight attendants are paid very badly. This is very strange. It is a very difficult and trying job. The job requires considerable training, long hours and enormous amounts of travel. Here let me quote from the article:

In interviews with 18 current or former flight attendants, workers recounted dire financial situations, assault on the job from unruly passengers and mental health crises. They shared similar stories: Paychecks much smaller than expected. Quickly falling behind on bills. Spiraling into debt.

Doesn’t sound very glamorous, does it? Well, okay, why are they treated like this? This is the logical result for “Shareholder” value, the morally bankrupt ideas of Milton Friedman. Shareholder value dictates that these employees should be paid as little as human possible. This maximizes value. Extreme capitalism.

Are they other choices that can be made?

We could pay them a “living” wage. That would be enough money to ensure a middle class life style in most states. Why should we do that? Well paid workers work harder and better. You don’t think so? Well the data shows that higher wages produce 1) increase motivation, 2) better retention, 3) attract better workers, 4) enable better health, 5) increase productivity, and 6) improve your employment brand.

So, why don’t we pay workers more? There is the problem of the “race to the bottom.” If your competitor pays its workers badly, it has a competitive advantage. So, everyone competes by cutting wages. This goes on until it is no longer sustainable. Basically people don’t show up, don’t care about doing their jobs and just generally loath the company they work for. Not the best situation.

I write about business ethics. What do ethics say about this? What is the moral choice here? We live in a society where pure unadulterated capitalism is thought well of. This is absurd. Capitalism has its advantages and these should be used but we get adulterated products, dead workers from cut corners and people living in poverty while working full time. If this isn’t evidence that pure capitalism doesn’t work very well, I don’t know what is. I reject pure capitalism because it is completely devoid of moral purpose or ethical qualm.

We should honor our fellow humans as our equals worth of dignity and life. That simple statement of value points to better pay, safe working conditions and preservation of dignity and purpose. And that is what I believe would be the correct decision here.

James Pilant