MASON CITY – At-Large City Council member Scott Tornquist said Tuesday night that new jobs from WS Live headed to Mason City are “so close to the minimum wage.”
WS Live – a company from Dubuque that offers call center marketing – is planning to come to Mason City and move into the former IC Systems building located at 858 Calmus Court.
The company plans to offer 29 jobs the first year it is in operation, 29 more the next year, and so on, until potentially 135 jobs are filled in 5 years. The bulk of the jobs will pay a $9.50 per hour wage. Currently, the Iowa minimum wage is $7.25 with a potential raise to that on the horizon as lawmakers meet in Des Moines next year.
WS Live plans to accept over $70,000 in city incentives to come to Mason City; they must meet employment targets to keep the funds. The last company in that building, IC Systems, got about halfway to the 200 jobs it promised the city. Once IC System failed to meet their employment goal, the company was forced to return economic development funds to the city of about $177,600. IC System manager Scott Bultje made a public spectacle of returning those funds to the city.
City officials, including Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and the City Council as well North Iowa Corridor Director Brent Willett, have touted the WS Live jobs.
Council member Jean Marinos said at a May 21st City Council meeting that the $9.50 per hour jobs are “amazing”.
At that same meeting, Council member John Lee said that the jobs are “nothing to scoff at” and “exciting”.
Council member Scott Tornquist chimed in, saying “people could not survive on minimum wage jobs” and then went on to say that “this was a great project and a great opportunity and a huge win for the community.” Tornquist also added that “it was just as important for the Council to be working on opportunities at these levels ($9.50 per hour) as the $16.00, $17.00, $18.00 levels,” meeting minutes show. Tornquist did not write about the WS Live economic deal and jobs on his news website located at TornquistForRivercity.com, which he has mentioned by name at televised council meetings.
Mayor Eric Bookmeyer said that the North Iowa Corridor agency “exceeded expectations” in bringing the call center and jobs paying $9.50 per hour to Mason City.
Watch video of discussion of low-paying jobs:
httpv://youtu.be/PfdXpQYLWsI
I was told yesterday by my niece that works there that they also get paid a commission. She said some are paying as much as $1,000 per month. That puts it up to about $31,700 a year. Still not much of a wage IMO.
@DR Dunn-is the $1,000.00 bonus something they are actually paying, or, is it something they are dangling out there as a incentive to make them work harder? If they have paid it does not mean they will pay it every month and most likely will never pay it. Even if they do pay it,it is gross pay and if you put it together it amounts to around $31,700 gross assuming they max out every month which probably won’t happen. That would be about $23,775 net at max. which is $1,981.25 p/month. Not much to buy food, rent, doctors, utility, car payment, insurance, clothes and other stuff is it?
it is a commission on the sales the individual makes. Not a bonus. And as I said not that great of a wage.
@DR Dunn-commission or bonus amounts to the same thing. I was agreeing with you.
John Lee says these jobs are nothing to scoff at and are exciting?? How did he get elected to the city council? Ask him to trade in his $70,000 9 month out of the year job and replace it with a job that pays $19,760 per year and lets see if he and his wife say how “exciting” it is now. This pay may work for some 18 year old who just graduated and living at home but not as a means of a solid independent live-on-your-own-income. It is both embarrassing and maddening seeing the comments of this council. They are either brain-dead or they simply don’t care, or both.
The only people that are moving INto MC are the drug dealers and their baggage from Detroit, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee while our top students move away and never come back. It is all about supply and demand. If so much of our population decided to quit their drug habit this trash wouldn’t bother coming to our town…..so unfortunately, I would have to say that a big percentage of clientele from MC is not real educated. All you have to do is take a seat at Walmart any given day and take a sampling of what we have in this town.
Good one MATT !
It was an exhausting minute or so to watch Bookmeyer Bobble his head up and down.
They got on that quick so it would look good for election time. So obvious.
Tornquist I swear is an alien..who can talk so monotone every word?
They don’t give 2 shents about anyone who may want that job!
I can’t stand looking or hearing them one more minute.
I have no idea how I missed this daft comment which fell off the turnip truck.
“yea! Welfare is broke in the big cities so obammer buses them to small towns to spread the burden around “
There is not a grain of truth to this.
The costs associated with welfare payments, Section 8, Food Stamps, ad nausium are not paid using City funds as you suggest. They are paid through State and Federal programs. There is no allocation or limits on most funding of social programs by any sort of division or political boundary (with the possible exception of Section 8 depending on State laws).
If you are going to disparage the man, at least use some fact.
I have a high school diploma aa in business management and a bachelors degree in business. After I lost my job at Orange Tree Employment Screening I could not find a job in Mason City. I still live in Mason City. I now drive semi since I could not find a high paying job in Mason City. Please quit saying the people of Mason City Iowa are uneducated. It is untrue.
We have high-paying jobs here in Mason City that we can’t fill because there isn’t anyone here with the education and/or training needed for them. I have seen $50k/year jobs go unfilled for over six months! If we brought more $18+/hour jobs here we would have to fill them from out of town.
What an idiotic statement. You’re saying people would not relocate to MC for a $50K / year job? STFU you moron.
FROM NIT STAFF: Please treat other visitors with respect. Thank you.
Duh is exactly right. Do people really believe you are going to find a “high” paying job advertised in the paper?? When recruiters are looking to fill these positions, they are looking for the best of the best. The problem is qualified candidates typically either already have a good job or have other options. When salary is removed from the equation, it comes down to location. What are highly qualified candidates looking for in a place they want to move to and raise a family? Unfortunately, many of the things most of the people complain about (more retail, nice downtown, activity centers, etc). Ask your high school kids if they could make the same amount in Mason City as they could in Des Moines or Minneapolis, which they would prefer. For those of you still waiting for that $20+/hour job with no education, you need to do a quick google search on the word China and another search on Amercian Labor Unions to see it’s going to be a long wait.
Yes, that’s what I am saying. It is the truth. If it weren’t we would have filled these positions.
It is difficult to find qualified employees who have basic skills even when the pay is $15-20\hour. Many of them cannot write complete sentences without misspelling words and none can do anything other than basic math on a calculator. God forbid if you need them to do anything that involves an algebraic concept or analyzing anything. This is true of applicants who come from all over, not just MCHS. Few of them learned the skills they should have to function in a workplace. They need to go back to high school to be worth the money they expect to be paid because you could never turn them loose without constant supervision so you might as well do it all yourself. And many have higher education than high school. Very sad.
Go to Curries! All kinds of jobs there!
Stay 4 years and you can earn $50k and up
People don’t let Bookmeyer fool you all he is a stay at home daddy lol while his wife a doctor supports his lazy butt.
Would we be critical if it was the other way around?
Lets have all the council persons and mayor live on $9.50 and hour for six months like someone said earlier. Not a two income family but ONE PERSON income and see what kind of apt they can rent, car they can afford, what kind of food they can buy and etc. If anyone one of them says well that is why we went to collage so we don’t have to live on that kind of income. Then where are the jobs in mason city to pay the kind of jobs collage grads should have making a decent income. Love to hear the response to this comment!!!!!!!!!
ya but what if Jean’s beemer needs a repair or she wants to travel to europe for 6 weeks? kinda hard to do on 9 fitty. id hate to see that kinda hardship on the ole gal. and you cant buy much scotch on 9 fitty either. eric will get awful thirsty. and what about solberg the cyborg. half woman half cadillac escalade. big woman need big bucks, the arbees drive thru aint cheap. she gott work 3 hours at 9 fitty to buy a snack.
Sandy why didn’t you use your real name? You are the only one who spells college, (collage). Shouldnt be mad at people who made sacrifices to better themselves. Look at your brother he worked his butt off and is now successful at NIACC. Try to be more positive it may hep you attitude.
I meant help your attitude.
Before you put my name in here you better no who you are talking about!! Just because you think it doesn’t make it true. I put my name on comments , if you look at other articles you will see MY name . So keep my name out of your comments!!
The welfare people from chicago and detroit being bused into worth county and set up on welfare live better than a person in cerro gordo making 9.50 per hour – yea! Welfare is broke in the big cities so obammer buses them to small towns to spread the burden around – hoppy/changy? Ask the people that live around the pool side apartments in northwood -and the –
No one on the council or the mayor could live and raise a family on 9.50 an hour. That is what is wrong with this council and the EDC when they bring in a crappy paying company they want to be applauded for it. I would like to see all the elected officials live for 6 months on this salary then come tell us you still think this is a great company to give incentives to for coming here. We all don’t have spouse’s supporting us.
Your comment is spot on. While there might be some economic revenue from this company, that is all there will be. Those who take those low paying jobs end up costing us instead of contributing.
Don’t understand how NIT can make things so negative…
What’s positive about paying taxes to purchase someone elses business inventory?
If it’s positive, then write me out a check right now guy! I need cement work done.
I wonder if Jean Marinos were making $9.50 an hour — could she drive a BMW and own that fancy house?
If she was also married to a tightwad millionaire yes she could. That car is at least 15 years old and has been totaled once. Again, Jim is a tightwad.
If people don’t wish to work for $9.50/hr at WS Live, then they may choose not to. Let them work for a job that either pays for the lifestyle they choose to live, or pays them the wages they feel they deserve. If those jobs require them to relocate, so be it. The only stipulation is that if they choose not to work, they get no federal assistance, i.e. food stamps, extended unemployment. But this will never happen. Most people unemployed are the bottom feeders who wouldn’t work whatever the job or whatever the pay. They enjoy the free govt. handout which allows them to use drugs, get drunk, and have babies all at the expense of the taxpayer.
I heard the theme from All in the Family playing as you were talking Arch.
Read em and weep, boy. The truth always hurts.
@Steal Panther-whats the matter welfare baby-does the truth hurt.
@Peter L.-this is not the first time you have proposed this. It is a good thought but, you know and I know it will never happen. They just won’t let it. Lots of things in this world that are unjust but, as long as people like Turncoat and his boss the mayor are in positions of authority it will never change.
@Peter L.-I think I said the same thing. Just less words.
The market place unfortunately dictates the wages. Our disadvantages are we have very high electricity rates, an older work force and an uneducated work force. Energy costs are a key decider. would you build a home and pay close to 30 percent more each month for electricity? Would you locate a business where you could choose from a hundred or thousands of technically strong people ? Would you locate where the average education s high school or one that predominantly had college education? It’ is so competitive in trying to get new industries . we need to grow more of our own because they will stay in spite of higher electricity, lack of numbers and education since they are already here and want to be here.There ain’t anymore slaughtering plants, tile manufacturers and the cement plants are pretty much shut down. Old industries, old business models. w need to move on an reinvent ourselves and quit putting the set screws in our head when it is firmly stuck up our ass.
@Hacker-I get so damn tired of hearing people say we have an uneducated work force. What the hell ever happened to on the job training. 98% of the jobs around here or most other places do not require a college education but they do require training. Company’s used to train people in the plants and many had trainers on staff that taught math and whatever else was needed. That is back when they invested in their own company instead of crying for the government to do something.
LVS, you’re so right. I have no college degree. I was hired by a company that pays very well and I worked myself up to management. Why did they hire me when I had no degree? Because they looked at my high school transcripts and saw that I had good grades. But you know what was even more important? My attendance record. I never missed school unless I was sick, and that was a rarity. They knew I would be dependable and reliable, and an excellent candidate for on-the-job training. They were right. College doesn’t make you smart. It doesn’t hurt, but it shouldn’t be a requirement. Companies who won’t look at anyone without a degree are passing up some excellent employees.
You must have been hired years ago. If most jobs don’t require an education, their job postings state they prefer it.
I agree with Hacker’s post. Electrical rates are through the roof in this area and we have an undereducated/unskilled workforce. If an employer is looking for trained or an educated workforce, Mason City is not the place for it. On the other hand, if they are looking for a body that won’t ever leave Mason City and don’t care if the employee has no formal training, then this is the place to be.
Also, I have known many couples that leave this area due to the lack of professional positions for their spouse.
I think the $9.50 wage is right in line with a high school education.
Anonymous blogger, this is an extremely cynical, almost nasty thesis on the good people of Mason City. However, I believe that Eric Bookmeyer, Jean Marinos, Brent Willett, Scott Tornquist, Robin Anderson, and this dastardly band of cronies share your view; perhaps you are one of them. I have a lot more faith in our workforce here and believe that any motivated person can be trained and taught to do at least semi-skilled jobs. It is people like YOU and these cronies who are keeping Mason City down and good paying jobs away. My hometown needs new leadership with an entirely different perspective on its own people; leaders who do not look down their noses at the rest of us, but accept the condition of Mason City now for what it is and will work toward improvements for all, not just a select few.
So you are willing to work for sub standard wages and turn away good paying jobs because they don’t suit your ideals?
Talk about a sense of entitlement!
3 out of 10 people simply can’t pass the drug tests. So sad but the drug and alcohol abuse has really taken it’s toll on who can get a job. As for Ws Live they do offer a commission program. Some of their workers are making an extra$1,000 a month in commission. That puts them up to around $15-$16 an hour.
Jobs are jobs-if you don’t want to work for $9.50 then don’t. Many jobs at Trinity pay $10.00 an hour, Sukup Manufacturing is $10.00 an hour, and of course all retail, food service, hotel staff, ect are far less. Any company that wants to re-locate to Mason City is great news. Plus the management positions pay extremely well at this company. Do I think the city should have given them an incentive package-NO! But we can’t hate on the company for taking it-most would. I know a few already working here who really like it-they are wives with husband’s who have good jobs-NOT welfare folks. Spouse’s of a salary Lehigh guy, a policeman and radiologist. EVERY community wants $20.00 an hour jobs and I hope we get some here in Mason City.
Our current council and mayor are an embarrassment to our city. Turncoat is the biggest, snob, elitist on the council. We need to vote them all out of office and put in someone who will support all of the people all of the time, not just when it suits them.
Amen to that!!!
When Tim Moorman was the City Administrator, he would not bring an incentive package to the council unless the employer paid the county median wage (13.00/hr right now).
LMAO… I am a local entrepreneur on a shoe string budget who is about ready to complete contracts with AT&T and Apple to provide individuals with “work at home” customer service positions that pay $16 an hour.
I am doing this single handed with very little start up capital. Without taking any money from banks, government or private investors.
I will be able to create 30 – 50 positions in my first month of operation. Can’t anyone in this city conduct good business without special interest, kick backs and paying incentives to companies to come to this area?
Our city government is a joke. Hopefully after Matt gets on City Council he can shake some sense into these people.
$70,000 to create 29 call center jobs in a year is a friggin joke in my book. Specially at near minimum wage.
Again, ROTFLMFAO…
MY 2 CENTS:
I was making $5.25 per hour in 1969!
Median Household Income: $8,389.00
In 1969 a 12 oz box of Corn Flakes was 29 cents.
In 2013 a 12 oz box of Corn Flakes is $3.79
In 1969 16 ounces of Nabisco Oreo cookies were 51 cents.
In 2013 14.3 ounces of Oreo cookies are $4.59
1969 Cost of a gallon of Milk: $1.10
2013 Cost of a gallon of Milk: $3.69
Cost of a new home: $27,900.00
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.06
1969 Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $0.35
2013 Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $3.32 today
1969 Cost of a dozen large eggs: $0.62
2013 Cost of a dozen large eggs: $1.89
I think you get the point here.
$9.50/hour is BS. Why, Why, Why has the wage bar been set so low?
Answer: Our local employers do not want to compete for labor so they won’t let good paying jobs into the North Iowa area. The want to keep our local wages low!!!
The elite, Chamber of Commerce, and the well to do’s put their money in the campaign coffers of the people they want and do get elected to keep bringing us these low wage jobs.
Then this group has the audacity to puff up there political chests and say, “Hey look at what we are doing for you.” They have no shame!
Mayor Bookmeyer and the current City Council are all bought and paid for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wake up folks!
I commend you for doing your homework. This points more and more to the lowering of the standard of living in the U.S. at the expense of it’s workers.
The social cost alone was not worth exporting all those jobs overseas. Lowering the wages only sought to cost us more in social programs, resulting in fewer people paying into the system. Not economically sustaining, but our leaders seem to feel it is best for the U.S. by doing nothing.
“Any job is better than no job” became the mantra. And the U.S. consumer did not help matters any.
9.50 hr. what a joke this may have been good pay in late 80’s early 90’s .In no way should a city pay in any way to get these type of jobs.Look at all the under use of all the buildings in our so called industrial park compared to the past.Need to get some major companies to build up by Avenue of Saints so Mason City is even visable from interstate, we have easy interstate access we need to push this and build for a future instead of being stuck in the mold of very low paying jobs on the average.Our city is all worked up about new Marshall store.Also the population goes way down from 70’s, close to 8000-10,000 people.What gives? No good jobs what else is there to stay for.Wait a minute I got it low income housing assistance to out of towners with no work ethic.Just give them handouts that is incentive to SOME.
$9.50 an hour is better pay than the starting wage for most hourly positions at the Diamond Jo casino.
9.50 an hour jobs what a joke. No way should any city give any financial incentives for a company to come to their community and pay this low of wage.
Sorry to say that our council members are idiots. I would like to see anyone of them live on $9.50 p/hour. If they get 40 hours pay in a week that will be $380.00 gross pay.By the time you take taxes and S.S. out of that you would have around $285.00 left to pay rent, pay for transportation, buy food, buy clothes, pay for insurance, doctors, dentist and so on. That is only $1,225.50 p/mo. net.Just how far do the elitist think $1,255.50 will go? It wouldn’t even pay the mayors bar bill. You can’t even get a decent house to rent for under $500.00 anymore.
I agree, $9.50 an hour is not very much at all and is extremely tough to live on. It is possible, but very tough.
Just one thought for thinking outside the box (something many people here hate to do) isn’t a $9.50 an hour job better than no job at all? For something that is making just mininum wage (currently $7.25 as mentioned in the article), isn’t this an upgrade?
I get it that it isn’t a high end deal and that it isn’t going to set the world on fire on the payscale, but jobs are jobs and everyone needs them. Again, just my opinion but I’d rather have the $9.50 an hour than nothing at all. Just my 2 cents.
Just one more thing, I’m not saying at all that I do or do not support any of the above mentioned council members, just stating that new jobs (and potentially 135 over time) is a good thing.
@sk-there is definitely a place for those jobs, but for the rest of us to subsidize them is stupid. That type of operation should be paying for themselves. The jobs they are creating will just keep people on the welfare rolls. We will have to provide health insurance, food stamp, rent subsidy and everything else that goes with low pay. If we have to do all that why should we pay to bring in that type of business. When that is all that is available people are locked in to poverty. It is not a good deal for us or the people that will have to work there.
Yes jobs that pay $9.50 per hour are better than nothing. In Mason City’s case, it’s all we are getting. One of my points is that the bar is set so low here in Mason City now that we actually CELEBRATE this kind of job. Really, if the council and mayor were in touch with the people, they would pass this and move on, thanking WS Live for coming here with no fanfare. They are getting a nice incentive package, that should be enough.
Once we get into the “well, it’s better than nothing mindset” we will then except nearly nothing.
Scott Tornquist you are out of touch with Mason City and how many of us live paycheck to paycheck. I was surprised at John Lee I thought he was his own man really Jean owns him he’s no ones man.
This display put on by the council and mayor would be laughable if not for the absolute insanity of the remarks that were made by marinos, tornquist, bookmeyer, and lee. If they were smart and as we all know are not they should of just kept their mouths shut and moved on.
They talk about 9.50 an hour as a triumph! The facts are according to the u.s. department of health and human services for a family of three…say a single mom with two kids, the poverty level in this country is a annual income of 18530.00. If this same person worked at the new call center if they worked a 40 hour week, 52 weeks a year the gross income would be 19760.00. A thousand dollars above the poverty level. What this means is we continue as taxpayers to help support them with food stamps, housing assistance, free medical care ie hawki, and more.
Matt stated very clearly in his time at the podium…”could you live on 9.50 and hour?”. Yet our leaders feel this is good enough for some of you out there.