Despite the facts about establishing a living wage, you may still say to yourself “But I’m a Dental Assistant, I went to school and trained to earn my salary, so why can’t they?”. One might even add that his/her job is more important than that of a fast food or other low-wage worker. Simply put, stop being a baby!
No one’s job is truly more important than another. Everyone who says that low-wage earners do menial work undervalues the economic impact of these workers. Furthermore, such classification devalues the fact that millions of us don’t want to do that type of work. Someone needs to fill these positions to have a strong economy. Without low-wage earners doing the jobs we don’t want, those jobs don’t get done or that money coming into the economy will go elsewhere. Most positions matter in some way that would not make other positions or economic realities a possibility were it not for them.
Another widely used claim is that the economy cannot handle a living wage. Many suggest that if we were to raise the minimum wage, that businesses would fail or would employ less workers. To the first point, starting a business is a risk and one must assume that responsibility when entering a new venture. If a business is not strong enough to support a living wage, then it deserves to go under. The owner and backers did not grow thoughtfully and rightfully deserve to lose it all and go under. Such circumstances are what lead to novel ideas that revolutionize the way we do business. However, the reality is that the American government and population values the success of business at the expense of the success of people.
Secondly, the argument that businesses would need to lay off some to support a higher minimum wage is far more complex that the claim would suggest. Big businesses profits are so large, that they would barely feel the impact of a higher wage. How do I know this? Look at Europe! These big businesses have no problem operating and paying living wages there. The difference is in who and what we value. Big businesses want their profits to go to shareholders, but not to the people without whom their businesses would not exist. Furthermore, small businesses may reduce their workforce and slow hiring to implement a higher minimum wage. This is unfortunate, but economists largely agree that an increase in the minimum wage would not have a detrimental effect on employment . In short, money grubbing wealthy people just don't want to pay a living wage, because it minisculely affects their million and billion dollar salaries and profits.
But it’s not just about economics. There is an underlying issue of privilege when we tell workers fighting for living wages things such as “Get another job” or "Go to school to make more money". The ability to get an education that will improve your earning potential in the U.S. is a privilege; not a right. Given that education takes time and money, both of which are in short supply for low wage earners, many find it difficult to get the education needed to improve their lives.
It took my working and going to school for 10 years before I achieved my B.A. I did this while taking on debt. That doesn’t even address finding employment in the fields in which I am qualified. This is same, if not worse for each low-wage earner in this country. Real life is much more difficult to manage than such silly and ignorant proclamations suggest.
We must consider that upward social mobility in the U.S. is incredibly difficult! That means that most people aren’t going to have the opportunity to get a significantly better paying job after working at McDonald’s or other low paying position. This is yet another problem with the “Get another job” argument. The earning potential for a Dental Assistant is about $20,000 more than the lowest wages in that field. There is virtually no way your typical low-wage earner will be able to increase their earnings by that much if they stay within their industries.
If they leave their industry all together, they run the risk of being unemployed for a long period of time due to a resume that has zero relevant experience for a new field. There are countless barriers to increased earnings in this country and until they are removed, we can’t expect low-wage earners to ever make it without establishing a living wage.
Finally, the arguments against a living wage effectively breakdown the American family that we all claim to want to preserve. Working more than one low paying job to simply to allow your family to survive is not the American Dream that has been touted to us all. The well-off often think that if people were working hard, they would get as many jobs as it took to make it. Albeit, most of them never had to do that. What’s hypocritical is that they are the same people calling for the saving of the American family and more work-life balance. How can we strengthen families when parents and older family members must work consistently just to provide basics?The opponents of a living wage never have to face these challenges and so are completely blind to this clear case of double talk. When opponents of a $15 per hour minimum wage speak out against it, they are saying, "Everyone deserves the American Dream, but only if you were privileged enough to grow up like I".
US News
NY Times
No one’s job is truly more important than another. Everyone who says that low-wage earners do menial work undervalues the economic impact of these workers. Furthermore, such classification devalues the fact that millions of us don’t want to do that type of work. Someone needs to fill these positions to have a strong economy. Without low-wage earners doing the jobs we don’t want, those jobs don’t get done or that money coming into the economy will go elsewhere. Most positions matter in some way that would not make other positions or economic realities a possibility were it not for them.
Another widely used claim is that the economy cannot handle a living wage. Many suggest that if we were to raise the minimum wage, that businesses would fail or would employ less workers. To the first point, starting a business is a risk and one must assume that responsibility when entering a new venture. If a business is not strong enough to support a living wage, then it deserves to go under. The owner and backers did not grow thoughtfully and rightfully deserve to lose it all and go under. Such circumstances are what lead to novel ideas that revolutionize the way we do business. However, the reality is that the American government and population values the success of business at the expense of the success of people.
Secondly, the argument that businesses would need to lay off some to support a higher minimum wage is far more complex that the claim would suggest. Big businesses profits are so large, that they would barely feel the impact of a higher wage. How do I know this? Look at Europe! These big businesses have no problem operating and paying living wages there. The difference is in who and what we value. Big businesses want their profits to go to shareholders, but not to the people without whom their businesses would not exist. Furthermore, small businesses may reduce their workforce and slow hiring to implement a higher minimum wage. This is unfortunate, but economists largely agree that an increase in the minimum wage would not have a detrimental effect on employment . In short, money grubbing wealthy people just don't want to pay a living wage, because it minisculely affects their million and billion dollar salaries and profits.
But it’s not just about economics. There is an underlying issue of privilege when we tell workers fighting for living wages things such as “Get another job” or "Go to school to make more money". The ability to get an education that will improve your earning potential in the U.S. is a privilege; not a right. Given that education takes time and money, both of which are in short supply for low wage earners, many find it difficult to get the education needed to improve their lives.
It took my working and going to school for 10 years before I achieved my B.A. I did this while taking on debt. That doesn’t even address finding employment in the fields in which I am qualified. This is same, if not worse for each low-wage earner in this country. Real life is much more difficult to manage than such silly and ignorant proclamations suggest.
We must consider that upward social mobility in the U.S. is incredibly difficult! That means that most people aren’t going to have the opportunity to get a significantly better paying job after working at McDonald’s or other low paying position. This is yet another problem with the “Get another job” argument. The earning potential for a Dental Assistant is about $20,000 more than the lowest wages in that field. There is virtually no way your typical low-wage earner will be able to increase their earnings by that much if they stay within their industries.
If they leave their industry all together, they run the risk of being unemployed for a long period of time due to a resume that has zero relevant experience for a new field. There are countless barriers to increased earnings in this country and until they are removed, we can’t expect low-wage earners to ever make it without establishing a living wage.
Finally, the arguments against a living wage effectively breakdown the American family that we all claim to want to preserve. Working more than one low paying job to simply to allow your family to survive is not the American Dream that has been touted to us all. The well-off often think that if people were working hard, they would get as many jobs as it took to make it. Albeit, most of them never had to do that. What’s hypocritical is that they are the same people calling for the saving of the American family and more work-life balance. How can we strengthen families when parents and older family members must work consistently just to provide basics?The opponents of a living wage never have to face these challenges and so are completely blind to this clear case of double talk. When opponents of a $15 per hour minimum wage speak out against it, they are saying, "Everyone deserves the American Dream, but only if you were privileged enough to grow up like I".
US News
NY Times