Does a $15 minimum wage make sense?

Posted 8/21/12

The fight to establish a $15 minimum wage for entry-level workers, specifically fast-food workers, has grown larger over the recent weeks. Organizations such as “Fight for $15” have tried to …

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Does a $15 minimum wage make sense?

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The fight to establish a $15 minimum wage for entry-level workers, specifically fast-food workers, has grown larger over the recent weeks. Organizations such as “Fight for $15” have tried to spread the word about the fight for an increase in the minimum wage established by the federal government. Supporters claim that people need more money to back themselves. The opposing side argues that people working entry-level jobs with little skill and education do not deserve a wage that high.

The idea of a $15 minimum wage has already been accepted in Seattle, WA. Will it be accepted everywhere else? That question has played a role in recent debates between 2016 presidential candidates. Bernie Sanders argued in a recent debate, “When we put money into the hands of working people, they are going to go out and buy goods; they are going to go out and buy services; and they are going to create jobs in doing that.” Supporters agree that doing so would indeed help our economy in those ways.

Should society fight for a $15 minimum wage? Sanders began his argument, “When we put money into the hands of working people…” but he fails to define what a “worker” is. People working in a fast-food restaurant are generally uneducated and unskilled. Mike Saltsman, a research director for FastFoodFlop.com, stated his opinion that raising the minimum wage “devalues the hard work of people who have already put the effort into working their way up.”

People that have low skills and low education deserve the low wages they get now. Supporters of the increase fail to see that a person working in an entry-level position at a fast food restaurant should not be using that so-called “job” as a career path. These employees should not be relying on their minimum-wage paycheck to pay their bills. Instead of fighting for higher wages, they should get an education. Then they’ll be able to search for a real job that will get them the money they need.

David Powers

[David is a senior at Eldred High School.]

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