Who looks out for them?!

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It's sad when people in the health field have to leave it, just for the pay. Met a CNA of 20 years hard worker(making 13.20), who just was offer a job for Amtrak, I ask her the reason for that, and she said, they offered her more money to start.Also met one who took a job at the Airport, which was paying more than her giving care to someone's love one. Who's looking out for the CNA's? When will their increase go up? SAD:no: Thank for all those who responds.

Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

Yeah people here are tripping over the semantics of "unskilled" as "not necessitating a degree or board certification" (which I take to be the initial intended meaning) versus "unskilled" as "not having any skills." Please stop insisting that "aw that's offensive! I have skills!" Yes we know that and aren't denying it, they're just using a different definition of "unskilled."

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Once again, let me clarify that I know what the definition of "unskilled labor" means. As I said before, I understand what the OP was trying to say. It was just my opinion that maybe CNAs shouldn't be put into that category. In the state that I live in, 200 hours of classroom, clinical and lab work have to be completed, before a person can take the state exam to become certified. So, there is some training and schooling involved in order to do the job. In my opinion, that doesn't fit the description of "unskilled", where there is little to no training involved in order to do the work.

I'm sorry if my comment caused the thread to go off-track. I hope that we can get back to the original topic.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
Once again, let me clarify that I know what the definition of "unskilled labor" means. As I said before, I understand what the OP was trying to say. It was just my opinion that maybe CNAs shouldn't be put into that category. In the state that I live in, 200 hours of classroom, clinical and lab work have to be completed, before a person can take the state exam to become certified. So, there is some training and schooling involved in order to do the job. In my opinion, that doesn't fit the description of "unskilled", where there is little to no training involved in order to do the work.

I'm sorry if my comment caused the thread to go off-track. I hope that we can get back to the original topic.

but not all states require that and some employers hire non certified NA's. When I was a tech I was hired by the hospital with no medical background, then spent 40 hrs in on the job training, and was soon responsible for the care of pts.

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Unskilled work is unskilled work and gets unskilled pay. Like the term or not it is the reality and nothing to be ashamed of, this country and many others were founded on the shoulders of unskilled labor.

It is very difficult to compare one unskilled labor position to another and their wages. Costco employees make an average of $20/hr, Big Lots employees make a bit less...

So should EVERY retail position make $20/hr? Should EVERY unskilled job pay $20/hr?

Ever hear of inflation?

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Specializes in Behavioral Health, Float pool- in all areas.

There's lots of jobs out there you don't need a degree for, that pays well..such as punching a ticket, lifting a bag, that pays better than a CNA and some RN jobs.

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If any group of employees are unsatisfied with their wages or working conditions, the only productive option is to organize.

Sitting around and hoping management has a change of heart is an exercise in pointlessness.

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Unskilled work is unskilled work and gets unskilled pay. Like the term or not it is the reality and nothing to be ashamed of, this country and many others were founded on the shoulders of unskilled labor.

It is very difficult to compare one unskilled labor position to another and their wages. Costco employees make an average of $20/hr, Big Lots employees make a bit less...

So should EVERY retail position make $20/hr? Should EVERY unskilled job pay $20/hr?

Ever hear of inflation?

The only way the average pay at Big Lots is $20/hr is if the bigwigs at the top who make millions are thrown into the mix, thus skewing the results.

I doubt very much Joe Blow stocking shelves at Big Lots or Costco make anything near $20/hr, unless said store is in the middle of Manhattan or something.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

This is a sad issue. The aides where I work ( I'm in Canada) make $24. They are unionized. They are well worth it.

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Specializes in LTC.
This is a sad issue. The aides where I work ( I'm in Canada) make $24. They are unionized. They are well worth it.

This is crazy. That is more than the LPNs I work with make. It's about what a new grad RN starts at in LTC.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Our RNs start at $30 at least.

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The only way the average pay at Big Lots is $20/hr is if the bigwigs at the top who make millions are thrown into the mix, thus skewing the results.

I doubt very much Joe Blow stocking shelves at Big Lots or Costco make anything near $20/hr, unless said store is in the middle of Manhattan or something.

The average Costco employee makes about $20/hr. The average Big Lots employee makes less, like just above minimum wage less.

I was attempting, poorly, to show that there are large wage discrepancies between unskilled labor positions, even within the same industry.

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