Apologies for just jumping in here: I haven't actually the whole thread, which is quite unusual for me - normally I read the entire thing before I post.
However, I've just posted in the Wal-Mart thread, and got side-tracked a bit by unions. So I thought I would post the union stuff here, and link to it in the Wal-Mart thread, so it wasn't filled with off-topic ramblings!
If I've messed up, just let me know! (And I promise to come back and read the whole thread here, but it's gone 2 in the morning here, and my eyes feel like they're about to bleed!)
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As for unions: they are responsible over here for the National Minimum Wage, which is, I believe, approximately one and a half times the Federal Minimum Wage in the US, so I say: yay for the unions! (And I am aware that each state has their own minimum wage, quite often significantly higher than that of the Federal Minimum Wage; however, I don't want to go hunting for the minimum wage for each state!)
Federal Minimum Wage as of July 24th, 2008: $6.55 [US Department of Labor Website]
British National Minimum Wage as of October 1st, 2008: £5.73 (This is for workers over the age of 22, there are lower ones for younger workers, which I believe is being disputed by unions right now.) [HM Customs and Revenue Website]
Taking into account the current exchange rate, which is £1 = $1.48406, according to Currency Converter Website, that makes the British National Minimum Wage equivalent to approximately $8.51. (That's roughly 1.3 times the US Federal Minimum Wage, so I was a little off - I think I was working on the older exchange rate!)
[As an aside: This is an interesting website about the National Union of Miners, who were responsible for establishing the National Minimum Wage in the UK.]