Do you remember reading about "Company Stores"? The idea was that workers could get paid in a script (a cash advance on a paycheck) which was good only at the "Company Store", where workers could buy stuff at inflated prices.
But at least people could get accept a paycheck instead of script.
Here is the Wikipedia entry.
But now, at least one business is forcing employees to accept pay via a debit card; a card which charges fees for cash withdraws, balance checks and the like.
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More below the fold
Via the Daily News:
A Pennsylvania woman is now suing the McDonald's franchise that refused to pay her by check and instead insisted on employees using payroll debit cards.
[...]
Gunshannon worked less than a month at the Shavertown McDonald's location when she learned that the franchise required employees to accept payment on a J.P. Morgan Chase payroll card. But the card, she contends, imposes fees on virtually every transaction, creating a monetary and physical barrier to her hard-earned cash. Among the costs, according to her lawsuit: $1.50 for an ATM withdrawal, $5 for over-the-counter cash withdrawals and $1 to check the balance. There's even a charge to pay a bill online or if the card is lost or stolen.
Isn't that grand? The company saves on payroll costs and J. P. Morgan Chase makes a killing. And, who ends up with less in the end?
I don't have a good feel for the politics of this, but I'd imagine that this would be a winning issue, even among blue collar Republicans. How can anyone but the most brazen 1 percenter defend this?