Tags
Fast-food businesses, Federal hourly minimum wage, Flash strikes, Government food stamps, Labor unions, Low-wage workers, Pope Francis I, Retail and service industries, Wealth Inequality in America
Behind the strikes at Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, ports, 5 December 2012
Source: current.com/community
On 13 March 2013, the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals elected a new head of the Church. Pope Francis I is the first South American pope. His choice of name is noteworthy. Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order, had embraced a life of poverty and championed the poor. Pope Francis expressed his desire for a poor church that serves the poor. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he shunned the luxuries granted him for a more simple life.
Does this mean that the new pope will address the plight of low-wage workers and inequality worldwide?
On 12 February 2013, in his State of the Union address, President Obama called for an increase in the federal hourly minimum wage from $7.25, in effect since July 2009, to $9.00. Democrats in the House of Representatives called for an increase to $10.10. Mind you, not all low-wage workers in the private sector receive the current minimum wage for their labor.
On 15 March 2013, while eyes were focused on Rome and the new pope, all Republicans in the House rejected the minimum wage increase.
The Republican who led the opposition said: “We need jobs out there. The best approach right now is to get federal spending under control and government out of the way of the nation’s job creators.” (UPI business news)
His remarks remind me of the chicken-and-the-egg conundrum. Which comes first? When workers earn more, they spend more. Businesses grow with more sales and – under normal circumstances – hire more workers to attend to the demand. But these are not normal times. While profits soar for large corporations, low-wage workers remain mired in poverty. To better grasp the degree of inequality in the United States, I recommend that you watch the video (duration 6:12 minutes), “Wealth Inequality in America.”
As a former low-wage worker in the retail industry, I know how difficult it is to get a steady forty-hour work-week. Hours vary from week to week: sometimes as little as twenty hours or less. To make ends meet, several of my associates also held one to two other part-time jobs. I marveled at a supervisor who came in early for the morning shift; worked in the afternoon at a supermarket; and then later became a bartender at a night club.
With the steady decline of labor unions, who will defend millions of low-wage workers in the retail, food, and service industries when our government is unwilling to lead the way by establishing a livable minimum wage?
One-day flash strikes at fast-food businesses in New York City and at Wal-Mart stores around the country indicate that low-wage workers can no longer bear the burden of providing us with meals, goods, and services at low prices, everyday. With the support of local community-based organizations, they are finding new ways to demand attention for their plight.
Can we, as consumers, go on supporting businesses that amass wealth while their workers survive on government food stamps and other community assistance?
Three Worlds One Vision 
Reblogged this on Guyanese Online and commented:
Another informative and well-written Blog entry from Rosaliene Bacchus
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A big thank you for sharing my post.
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It isn’t sustainable and will eventually lead to an incident on the scale of the French Revolution and take over of Russia by the communists if not properly dwelt with.
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DaPoet, thanks for reading my post and sharing your thoughts.
I agree with you that our current level of inequality is not sustainable. Perhaps, this is the reason for the outrage over gun control. Are the wealthy arming themselves for a revolt by the people? I pray that there is a more peaceful course ahead for us.
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Your welcome!
No the wealthy have no need to arm themselves since they already control the politicians who control the military and local, state and federal police forces. Which is why their focus is on passing laws such as the Patriot Act and other laws that severely restrict the average citizens rights to protest government and corporate policies that harm them.
The current rush to purchase guns and ammo is being fueled by the right wingers who right or wrongly fear government intrusion into their lives by those on the left of the political spectrum.
After all Obama is controlled by and gets his marching orders from the very same financial elites who controlled Bush II.
The wealthy are simply taking advantage of the situation to enrich themselves by stoking the fears and paranoia of the useful idiots: gun rights activists and other ignorant conservatives voters who support conservative politicians.
The issues of Gun Control, Economic policy, Illegal Immigration, Abortion, National Health Care, Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, Same Sex Benefits – though all are important and have their own proper place in the public sphere and need to be debated – are used as wedge issues by the elites to keep the American People divided against each other and at each others throats.
To divide and conquer is their goal for united we stand or divided we fall.
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DaPoet, I’m so happy to note that you are engaged with the machinations of our corporate elites.
Divide and conquer works every time.
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DaPoet appears to be a shrewd master at interpreting political plays behind the scenes. Yes, there is a lot of political drama and plots which the ordinary man are unaware of.
I’m a proponent for an increase in the minimum wage. When Wall Steet can audaciously support multimillion dollar bonuses for executives, how can it not be justified to increase the minimum wage by $1.50 from $7.50 to $9.00?
Also, how can we eliminate poverty by paying the majority of workers meager minimum wages?
Rosaliene, thanks for addressing this topic. I know the hardship involved in working for low and menial wages. I was once a low income worker.
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Deen, I don’t regret the four years I worked in retail. They helped me to see and experience the real America.
The individuals who make up the One Percent, controlling our government, are so blinded by their greed and their Good Life that they are unable to perceive the folly of their ways.
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Excellent post and comments. I do have doubts though, that the American low-wage earner will fully revolt. Americans, in addition to being inculcated with ideals of liberty and prosperity – and property – are also bred on individualism, competition rather than co-operation. The low-wager must be joined by the middle class to pull off that kind of revolution – let us hope that will not be necessary, and work toward that goal. Thanks again, Rose.
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Thanks for reading, Angela. I, too, hope that we will able to resolve our glaring income inequality by peaceful means.
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Employment & wages for largest U.S. occupations, published in article at CNN Money, 1 April 2013:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/01/news/economy/jobs-wages/index.html?source=yahoo_hosted
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