Need a Change in Lives of Low Wage Workers

Devanshi Devani

             Minimum wage debate poses many questions in many areas and sounds like a confusing topic. Only simple way to find conclusion is to raise minimum wage. Raising minimum wage does not have to be raise to $15. There are many aspects to be noted while rising minimum wage. For example, will the full time workers earn more than poverty line is decided per federal government? Today’s blog will be discussing why and how minimum wage should be raised.

            In article “You Can’t Earn Living on Minimum Wage”, by Peter Van Buren, clearly states that there is need to be raise in minimum wage because of the expenses of the workers. He implies that, “a rise in the minimum wage is only half the battle; employees need enough hours of work to make a living.” On his take on hours cutting is that employees aren’t given full 40 hours week. Employers are giving 39 hours to detached employees from full employment benefits. At the end, it is resulting in not getting paid enough to have dinner every night.

            Can businesses afford to pay higher wage? It is clear that small businesses aren’t able to pay higher wage. According to Buren, “Overall, 60% of minimum-wage workers are employed by businesses not officially considered "small" by government standards” which eliminates the question, can businesses afford to pay higher wage? Buren supports by, “This is disingenuous indeed, since 20 mega-companies dominate the minimum-wage world. Walmart alone employs 1.4 million minimum-wage workers; Yum Brands (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC) is in second place; and McDonald's takes third.

            As a low wage worker, we should all be able to see that these large companies are our source to increase our wage. These companies find a loophole to be not involved, but they should be the one helping to raise minimum wage. As stated in Buren’s article, Walmart’s workers our one of the large group to use funding like food stamps, WIC cards and etc. It is obvious that these workers are under poverty line.

Problems as serious as this should be priorities by our government. This should be the eye opening time for our government to make change in our system. A full time worker in wealthy country as ours is living under the poverty line decided by our federal government portrays that we need change in minimum wage. The following chart represents the annual earning of full time worker paid minimum wage and where they stand at poverty line.   

         

As mentioned earlier, rising minimum wage doesn’t mean rising to $15. Federal government should act on the new minimum wage standard where it will be benefiting everyone. If this not being in consideration than they have to make sure that rents of the apartment, gas, or any other things shouldn’t be raising prices. It is an impossible for a low wage worker to pay their bills if everything boosting except their salary. Now it is necessary for our country to raise minimum wage to an extent where our country would be stable in all form and shape. Economic is not only for businesses, but it should be for every type of workers. 


Credit:

Buren, Peter Van. "You Can't Earn a Living on the Minimum Wage." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.