Low Wages For America 's Lowest Paid Workers

The fast-food workers are expressed as a pond in a bigger game. They have to deal with their low pay in order to ensure low prices by these franchises. Jencunas concerns go on to represent the beginning of a bigger chain effect. Briefly, he states that, “The average fast food store would go from profitable to unprofitable overnight. Some would close immediately, leaving their workers worse off than they were when working for $7.50 an hour, while others would raise prices and try and remain in business, hurting consumers” (“Don't Deserve Any More, or Less”). Evaluating his reasoning we see that if fast-food workers ask for a higher minimum wage, they will in return influence the profit margin and actually increase unemployment rate in this industry. The researchers go on to inform us that if their minimum wage increases the industry won’t be able to afford the change in their profit margin and result in bankruptcy. However, Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which supports the fast-food strike states a different claim:

“Despite huge advancements in technology and productivity, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages. The real median income of male workers is $783 less than it was 42 years ago; while the real median income of female workers is over $1,300 less than it was in 2007. That is unacceptable and that has got to change.”

How do booming national and international chains- restaurants, hotels, retail outlets, cleaning services, and eldercare facilities – affect the treatment and aspirations of low-wage workers? Consider how market competition and the push for profits drive the nickel and dimming of America's lowest paid.

As most of you know, life is hard, actually extremely hard. As people of America each and every one of us has some sort of image of what we view “the American dream” as. One of which, is the amount of minimum wage that a person at McDonalds or even Kroger is making. This is a subject that has most Americans have been on edge about. Currently, our minimum wage is 7.25$. In the eyes of a newly employed sixteen year old having the opportunity to make his or her own money is greater than making no money at all. The sixteen year old is a newly worker, any money that is handed to

McDonalds, Wal-Mart, and cleaning services: all of these have one thing in common-they are all minimum wage jobs. Their pay is low and work load high, and because of this living as a low wageworker is never easy. One must handle many hardships in order to make a few meager dollars, with which most cannot sufficiently live. 'The 'living wage' in the United States is between $9-10.18; sounds great to a college student, but in the real world this kind of money just isn't going to cut it,' (Ramisch). Minimum wage standards for American workers rest at $5.15 per hour, and in such slighted fields, very few make much more than that, perhaps $6-7, but even that is a rarity. The material life of a low-income employee includes bare necessities

Americans that are living pay check by pay are struggling to pay their bills every month, of these, most of them earn only minimum wage which is “$ 7 .25” Epstein, R, & Bedford, K. (2014) , p,3. Working full time, 40 hours a week and 52 week a year. The average Americans that are working minimum wage jobs are providing for families on a full time salary which is not enough to pay for the hose hold bills and proved for every day necessities; this forces them to find a second job. In 1996 the number of people holding two or more jobs averaged Barabara Ehrenreich (2011) “7.8 million or 6.2 percent in the workforce” (p.45). According to Michelle Conlin a senior writer and editor of the Working Life Department and Aaron Bemstein a senior writer on Workplace and social issues, 63% of United States families below the federal poverty line have one or more job. More than a “third are 18-25- year old” Conlin, M., & Bemstein, A. (2007), p, 2, who are trying to work their way up the ladder with little to no help. In today’s society more than “28 million people” Conlin, M., & Bemstein, A, (2007), p, 2, which is about a quarter of the workforce between the ages of “18 and 64, earn less than $9.04 an hour” Conlin, M., & Bemstein,A. (2007), p, 2. This is well below what most American’s would consider a decent stander of living. The increase in the cost of living means parents earning the national minimum wage struggle to support families. Raising the rent for apartment and houses are

This forcing them to spend less on food, health care, and transportation. They reported, “Low-income families with children and severe housing cost burden spend 75 percent less on health care than their peers without housing affordability challenges.” and that, “Sixteen million renter households earn less than $25,000 a year, and the typical renter earned $37,900 in 2015.” These statistics show that the income to healthcare and rent ratio are clearly in disportion of affordability. According to National Law Employment Project the top companies in the fast food industry made a combined profit of 7.4 billion dollars in 2013, but over 50% of all their employees are getting some form of government subsidies, which comes from tax dollars that can be used in other much needed areas, if companies would substitute some of that gap with their massive

Many people believe that fast food workers can live off of $9 an hour. How are they supposed to survive off of $9 an hour when they need to pay rent, car payments, and possibly take care of children? Research states $15 an hour is a living wage, due to inflation. The average American needs to make at least this to meet their daily needs. The article “Mcdonald’s Raising its Minimum Wage, but Some Say it’s Not Enough” shows that McDonald’s and many companies are trying to increase salaries but it still isn't enough. It was stated in “PRO/CON Living Wage for Fast-food Workers?” That more than a quarter of fast food workers have at least one

Since 2008, McDonald’s and Walmart corporations have paid their employees’ by the same federal minimum wage amount of $7. 25 per hour (Friedman, 2015). Not until recently, news stations have reported that most McDonalds and Walmart employees live below the poverty line. In fact, McDonalds has started their own McResource Line to give their employees advice on how to provide for their families while living on a minimum wage budget. Soon after, the company renounced their website after the backlash it caused from the media. Therefore, McDonalds and Walmart decided to raise their minimum wage to $9 an hour (Gasparro and Morath, 2015; Friedman, 2015). After researching, I believe large corporations such as McDonalds and Walmart should have to pay living wages, and it is extremely unethical for these

As we approach the holiday season an alarming new trend among top companies has surfaced. In the past few weeks articles about how Wal-Mart and McDonalds have had controversial experiences between company and employees have come out. Both companies simply do not understand what it is like for their employees to make below the “living wage”, and the answer should not be to rely solely on government programs such as food stamps. Before we actually look into what both of these companies did, let’s keep in mind that according to the US Census Bureau as of 2012, 46.5 million Americans are living in poverty (US Census Bureau, 2012). As a country, we need to discuss poverty seriously, because it isn’t a small problem, as time goes on it’s becoming an epidemic.

In summary rather than a minimum wage we should create a system where if you have a husband/wife/kids you get paid more than someone who doesn’t. This would hopefully get rid of the inequality in the U.S. thus allowing everyone to afford “good” food forcing farmers to stop putting chemicals in their products because of the low demand. Also I believe giving people an incentive to begin growing their own food would also help our environment greatly some examples of incentives for growing your own food tax reductions, you could sell your food to help fund your garden.

“Paying your employees well is not only the right thing to do, but it makes for good business”-Jim Sinegal, CEO of Costco. Many of America’s employees are not being paid well, however, for the annual income of a full-time employee who works year-round is less than $16,000 (about $15, 080) according to the current federal minimum wage (Rebuilding). To put into retrospect how out-dated the federal minimum wage is, consider that the minimum wage of 1956 amounted to exactly $7.93 in 2009 (Henderson). How progressive is it that our nation’s workers being paid less today than workers from the 50’s? The federal minimum wage should be raised in order to assist families out of poverty, to ensure the effort and loyalty of workers, and

The fast food workers are being exploited and underpaid. They work long hours with very little pay and are treated horribly. As a matter of fact, “the industry’s wages are so low that even those front line employees who work 40 hours per week are often forced to rely on public assistance, and only 13 percent have access

Good morning to all the hard working citizens that make a living at Mcdonald’s or KFC. How is the food going? Are the customers being polite? I’m very proud of you with your career choice. That 8.05 an hour just isn’t enough! Anyone that works in the fast food industry deserves 15 useful dollars an hour. You people work so hard for your money! Not to mention the government card with 600 dollars a month for food stamps because you claim the five kids you work so hard for. Lets not forget firefighters make 15-17 dollars an hour. Which I mean, both jobs require the same kind of hassle. Fast food workers should make the same because they work just as hard. Fighting the grill heat! Why shouldn’t fast food workers get paid the same amount of people

Critique: Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania