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Would you take a job that pays $15/hr but provides housing at no cost? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 1 month ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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You're living in a townhouse as part of an apartment complex. The apartment complex has benefits such as a pool and hot tub, indoor gym, full size basketball court, a library, and a garden. You have 2 other roommate/coworkers, and you have 6 neighbor/coworkers. A Labor neutrality agreement is guaranteed, and both tenant unions and labor unions will be voluntarily recognized.

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[–] 26 points 1 month ago* (14 children)

This is what we call a company town. Soon you won't get real money, just monopoly money you can only use at the company store. No thanks.

I know that's not exactly what you're scenario is saying but, feels too slippery of a slope for me personally.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago

    It is one step back into this. It’s something we fight and died over in the past as workers only for these people to bring it back up again as a perk.

    We learned this in school so I’m assuming the younger gens aren’t learning any history at all unless it’s a lie “Trump fought wwii single handedly!”

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    OP specified actual, real currency.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    I'm aware. That's why I said this isn't your exact scenario.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago* (1 child)

    D'oh! I think I stopped reading and responded early. I hate it when people do that, my bad.

    There are cases where whatever business just has a residence in an otherwise private area. Or at least have been. OP didn't specify either way about the surroundings, though.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    I was gonna say, this sounds like a company town. I've seen some videos on company towns and they're fairly glamorous tbh, I forget the drawbacks, I'm sure it has its drawbacks.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago

    In old school mining company towns the drawback was that they didn't pay you in real money. They paid you in essentially monopoly money. The currency they gave you was only usable at places owned by the company. The issue becomes, you don't like your job and want to leave? You have no money. You can't leave.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    I have more details in other threads, but it's distinct from a company town in that the job is paid by the government, the housing is provided independently of the job, and the housing is controlled by the people who live there

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  • [–] 3 points 1 month ago

    If that were the case then why would your roommates and neighbors be fellow employees? Also how would the government afford said housing if they're also subsidizing the company you work for to allow them to be competitive for employees while only paying $15/hr?

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