1980 making $8.50 is the same as 2012 making $24.00. Part timers would have to be starting at almost 3x what they start at now to compare to what they started at in 1980. How many part timers would complain about starting at $24.00 an hour? Over the years the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports how the Consumer Price Index (inflation) is calculated, has consistently found ways of manipulating the calculation to where it now doesnt even include food and energy in its calculation, the 2 more important things to the average joe. According to the BLS"BS" numbers, part timers now making $8.50 an hour would be equal to $3.00 an hour back in 1980. Either the part timers back then had it really really great, but get shafted now, or they had it ok back then and now get absolute crap.
You ask your parents and grand parents how they were able to have just 1 parent working a warehouse job way back when, and that 1 job was enough to support the family and put the kids through school. It's inflation folks, oil companies and supermarkets arent trying to screw people. Its the value of your dollar is going down, currently at about 3-4% of the value it had when the Federal Reserve was deceivingly created.