unions

Maybe...or ihe increased IT salaries will cause other industries, like say mechanical engineering, to also raise salaries to avoid losing their workers to IT. And then people have more money and are willing to spend more money, increasing the price of things such as housing and food.

Eventually that fast food worker is back at the bottom of the barrel, even if they are being paid a higher number. Throw in the government printing money like crazy too to seal the deal.