by on November 26,
2013.
“I’m living out of a spare room at my children’s house.”
“I’m working 70 hours a week…my day starts at 6am…I want to go to
college, [but] I don’t have time [and] I can’t afford it.”
“I shouldn’t have to decide: am I going to pay the electric bill or do I
pay the heat? I’m a thousand dollars behind in rent now…where is this money
going to come from?”
“I’ve worked since I was 15 years old, and I’ve never been fired or asked
to leave a job. I can’t work more than 8 hours a day or I’ll lose my day care…
If I lose that, I’ll lose access to food assistance. I’m barely staying above
water now as it is.”
This is just a sampling of what I’ve heard from low-wage workers I’ve met
with recently. I come away from these conversations more convinced than ever
that we have to raise the federal minimum wage.
In a nation as wealthy as ours, one based on the
belief that anyone can make it if they try, it’s unconscionable that people
working full-time are living in poverty and resorting to safety net programs for
their very survival. As one young man who works in fast food in Milwaukee told
me: “This fight – it’s about the minimum wage, but it’s about respect.”
This is a time of year for plentiful family gatherings. But while many of us
are fortunate to enjoy a Thanksgiving of abundance and relaxation, the holidays
are too often a source of even greater economic anxiety than usual for those
earning at or near the minimum wage.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has estimated that feeding a table of 10
this Thanksgiving will
cost $49 on average. But it takes minimum wage workers nearly a full shift
to earn that much (and many will have to work on Thanksgiving anyway). For them,
putting any meal on the table, let alone a multi-course feast, is a
penny-squeezing struggle. So while many Americans will be loosening their belts
after helpings of turkey and stuffing, it’s another day of belt-tightening for
workers trying to get by on the minimum wage.
But increasing the minimum wage isn’t about holiday giving or charity. This
is smart economic policy with universal benefits. In an economy driven by
consumer demand, more purchasing power for working families means more sales at
businesses large and small. With tens of millions of people heading to stores to
start their holiday shopping this weekend, imagine how much more retailers could
benefit if low-wage workers had more to spend. I can’t put it any better than
one worker who told me: “If they would pay us what we need, we could put money
back into the economy and pay for what we need. And that strengthens all of
us.”
Minimum wage workers are proud and hardworking. They need and deserve a
raise. And that’s not just Tom Perez talking — more than three-quarters of
Americans agree, according to a recent
Gallup poll. As a matter of social justice and economic common sense, it’s
time for Congress to act.
Source: DOL
This information is intended to be educational and should not be
considered legal advice on any specific matter.
