Raise
the minimum wage!
A basic moral principle that most Americans agree on is no one who works full time should be in poverty, nor should their family.
Yet
over time we’ve seen significant growth in the “working poor” – people working
full time, sometimes even 60 or more hours each week, but at such low wages
that they remain impoverished.
What
to do?
One
step is to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This is winnable. A powerful
movement is fighting for $15 an hour and they’re winning new laws in cities and
states, and forcing companies to raise wages.
If
the minimum wage in 1968 had simply kept up with inflation it would be more
than $10 today. If it also kept up with the added productivity of
American workers since then, it would be more than $21 an hour.
Some
opponents say minimum wage workers are teenagers seeking some extra pocket
money.
Wrong.
Half are 35 or older, and many are key breadwinners for their families.
More
money in people’s pockets means more demand for goods and services, which means more jobs
not fewer jobs.
Studies
also show that when the minimum is raised more people are brought into the pool
of potential employees, giving employers more choice of whom to hire. This
reduces turnover and helps employers save money.
Finally,
employers who don’t pay enough to lift their employees out of poverty are
indirectly subsidized by the rest of us – who are paying billions each year in
food stamps, Medicaid, housing assistance, and welfare, to make up the
difference.
The
minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour. It’s the least that a decent
society should require.