The Moral Argument Behind Minimum Wage Law

Minimum wage has caused controversy throughout history between the two parties in government, the Democrats and Republicans, debating if they should increase minimum wage or not. Minimum wage was first established during 1938 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Sessions). The first act to enforce employers to pay its employees is the Fair Labor Standards Act which followed the Social Security Act (Sessions). Minimum wage started as twenty-five (25) cents per hour which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it was at that time (Sessions). The United States tended to raise the minimum wage when the standard of living changed. Since 1938, two other amendments were created to increase minimum wage laws even more. By 1961, minimum wage raised to $1.15 with another increase in 1963 (wages). Since the 1963 wage change, minimum wage created a trend of increasing yearly or every other year (Wages). From 2007 to 2009 minimum wage increased each year making the current minimum wage $7.25 (wages). Sine minimum wage has been established, Congress has increased minimum wage twenty-two times (22) (). Since minimum wage is supposed to change when the standard of living changes, then why hasn’t the United States government changed it since 2009?

Paying for a college education creates a dilemma when a student only earns minimum wage flipping burgers at a local fast food restaurant. The current federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 per hour before taxes. The debate on whether it should increase or remain constant has been occurring for many years. Raising the minimum wage to match the current cost of living seems like a good idea, but this could cause some negative effects. John Komlos’ article “Why raising the minimum wage is good economics” delivers a more effective argument than Rex Huppke’s article “The argument against raising minimum wage” through the use of ethos, logos, and a valid conclusion.

In addition, having a minimum wage forces the bigger companies out there to share the wealth to the people who help produce it. American companies make billions of dollars and the least that they could do is share it with those who need the minimum to make it through their everyday lives. For example, McDonalds is a big company that makes an enormous amount of money that can afford to pay their workers who make their profit more than just the bare minimum. According to Zadrozny (2013), “Currently, approximately 3.6 million workers make at or below the federal minimum wage of $7.25”.

Raising minimum wage has been an ongoing issue for many years. Similar to every debatable issue, pros and cons are inevitable. In the United States, minimum wage started when the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) was passed and minimum wage started at 25 cents per hour. The purpose of setting a minimum wage is to set a maximum workweek and to eliminate child labor. It is defined to be the least amount of money employers are obligated to pay their employees by law. As the years passed, the minimum wage began to increase to accommodate the growing economy. Although the wage has increased from a mere 25 cents per hour to $7.25 over the course of 75 years, living expenses are much higher causing many people to be poverty stricken (Debate.org). President Obama proposes raising the minimum wage, so that it would help minimize the income gap in America. However, most business organizations and the Republicans oppose to the idea, saying that it could potentially lead to more economic problems. While both sides have valid points, which one provides a more compelling argument? In the United States, the minimum wage should be raised in every state; therefore workers can have a more comfortable standard of living, lower the poverty line, and minimize the income gap.

The minimum wage was established in the United States by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 at 25 cents per hour. These laws are broadly supported by the public. Congress enacted these rules to combat “labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency, and the general well-being of the workers” (Sharp, 2013 p. 71). The purpose and intent of

The argument for minimum wage has remained remake consistent over the years. Some people are against minimum wage and the other think minimum wage can help you in a certain way. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Unites States federal government passed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The law has been amended almost every year to expand coverage of the wage floor and to increase the wage itself. Many of the fifty states have enacted their own minimum wage laws, some of them set even higher than the federal level. Minimum wage jobs don’t only help adults at hard times it help teenagers and college students. I learned that the proponents for minimum wage believe the raw value of one’s labor to a business

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

In the United States, the minimum wage was passed during the Great Depression in 1938 to protect the buying power of normal workers in a period in which the “unemployment rate was still a very high 19 percent” (Sklar, 2009, p. 1). Since that time, there has been significant debate about the controversial topic of raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage law was created to eliminate unfair practices of sweat shops and manufacturing companies during this time period. Thus, the minimum wage is defined as the smallest salary that an employer is legally allowed to pay employees for their work. Since the time of the Great Depression, minimum wage has been utilized to guarantee that employees are paid

“Fight for $15.” This is what workers and supporters across the country, including Milwaukee, chanted on Thursday, April 14th demanding for an increase in the minimum wage (Baillon). Workers had gotten word of the recent victories in California and New York, thus joining together in Milwaukee for a call to raise the wage to $15. The “Fight for $15” supporters marched from Washington Park Senior Center to the McDonald’s at 35th and Juneau. Dian Palmer, president of SEIU Healthcare WI, said “This tries to lift people out of poverty – and we have to start somewhere” (Baillon). This is only one of the many rallies that had taken place in the last few years, demanding that it is an injustice to have the minimum wage at $7.25 an hour.

Minimum wage has only been around in the United States (US) for a short period of time. Since 1938, the minimum wage has undergone many changes in its laws and regulations and has been raised to extreme amounts in some states. Today states must provide at least the equivalent minimum wage set by the federal government. Some states, however, chose to raise the minimum wage rate higher than that set by the federal government. In those states, the citizens will protest to get higher wages so that they can live more comfortably.

Minimum wage has only been around in the United States (US) for a short period of time. Since 1938, the minimum wage has undergone many changes in its laws and regulations and has been raised to extreme amounts in some states. Today states must provide at least the equivalent minimum wage set by the federal government. Some states, however, chose to raise the minimum wage rate higher than that set by the federal government. In those states, the citizens will protest to get higher wages so that they can live more comfortably.

Minimum wage is a very controversial topic that a great deal of people have strong opinions on. Some feel that by raising minimum wage the standard of living will increase, poverty will go down, and businesses will be more efficient. Others believe that increasing minimum wage will result in an increase in poverty and unemployment. People implement many different ethical theories when producing their stance on minimum wage. The utilitarian, libertarian, and deontological ethical theories are three of the most popular ethical theories people point to when forming their stance on minimum wage. It is important to gain an understanding of these ethical theories before making an argument for or against minimum wage.

The minimum wage has arguably become the most controversial topic regarding our economy today, as it influences one of the largest classes of people within the United States, the working class. Federally, the minimum wage has not been raised in eight years, so it has stayed at $7.25 per hour for all non-exempt workers (U.S. DoL). The opinions on this topic are typically split across a progressive-conservative line, with progressives being in favor of a raise from $7.25, and conservatives wanting to stay at the current rate. This can be seen when looking at the typical progressive stances from states and municipalities that raise the minimum wage for businesses operating within their jurisdiction, since the higher rate among all levels of

The national minimum wage was introduced in the UK in April 1999 by the Labour government. Essentially it formed a major part of their manifesto as it convinced the average population that Labour were beneficial for everybody. However, they would argue against classical economics and suggest there are wide spread benefits to be gained. The main argument is that the NMW would alleviate poverty across the country.

There are three different positions suggested on the issue of the minimum wage in the United States. First one is that it is best to not have any minimum wage and let the employers and employees decide. Second, the current minimum wage should not change and stay the same as it is. Third suggestion is that the U.S. should raise up the minimum wage up to certain about such as $15 an hour. Ethical egoism suggests that he or she has to make decisions based on what’s best for his or her interests and it is the only way to make decisions in the long run. Over the three different options given on the question of what the U.S. should do for the minimum wage, I believe ethical egoism supports the option of raising up the minimum wage.