A Fighting Chance

Over the past several weeks, I have seen a disheartening level of anger in response to New York State’s decision to incrementally raise the minimum wage of fast-food workers to $15-an-hour. This somewhat divisive topic has personally gotten me into a few Facebook "debates" (not a surprise) but now that tensions have settled a little I would like to formally weigh in. Most readers of this blog realize that I am not one to avoid talking about subjects viewed by some as controversial. Keep in mind, I do not expect everyone to see eye-to-eye with me but please consider what I have to say. 

Anytime there is a major news story nationally or in the local community we see social media is quickly flooded with opinionated banter and angry knee-jerk reactions. When the news of the fast-food worker wage increase broke, sites such as Facebook and Twitter exploded with ignorant commentary. To me, no matter what your opinion may be, it is important to at least know the facts and be willing to change any preconceived notions. Information is cornerstone of intelligent discussion, something we should strive for more often.

First of all, it is crucial to understand how this wage increase will be implemented and why. Some people, I believe, fail to realize that these wages will be raised on a gradual timeline till 2018 in New York City and 2021 for the rest of the state. Over the course of the next few years the minimum wage for all New York jobs will, following current trends, also continue to rise along with all wages. Many, however, may still find it odd that only one industry was seemingly given special treatment but it is the result of fast-food workers striking and letting their voices be heard. Workers being able to stand up for themselves and affect change is an important freedom that we are guaranteed as Americans, a right that has allowed provisions such as child-labor laws and workplace safety standards. The resentment towards lower wage workers is a misplaced feeling that historically seems to only support the interests of the top few and not those in need.

One of the most troubling aspects of the widespread social discussion taking place is the outright rage towards fast-food workers and the jobs they do. So much of this negativity seems to stem from the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding the industry’s workforce. Fast-food workers sometimes carry the perception of being lazy and entitled teenagers when, in reality, the majority are actually hard workers with the average age of around 29. Age and perceived character aside, these workers are human beings that certainly deserve livable wages, an "unskilled" job does not mean it is an easy one. It is quite apparent that the current national average wage of $8.94 is not a reasonable salary, with 1 in 5 fast-food workers living in poverty and nearly 50% requiring government assistance. Anecdotal evidence about "burger-flippers" occasionally making mistakes with orders does not justify the well known hardships of these workers.

Personally, I believe that all workers across the nation should be granted a $15 minimum wage, reducing poverty and giving people a fighting chance should not be considered a radical idea. No matter what you believe economically or politically, the  the fact remains that the United States has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth in the world. The potential side effects of higher wages on the market, that economists have hotly debated for decades, pale in comparison to the overwhelming struggles that millions of hard-working Americans face every single day. It is rather interesting that many people who balk at higher wages for fast-food workers rarely complain about the massive paychecks of fast-food CEOs. All in all, some of the biggest problems that we have as a society come down to runaway corporate greed and poverty, issues that we cannot solve divided against one another.