“Everything goes up but our paychecks": Talking to Real People Who Live on the Minimum Wage

[marmar]

from AlterNet:



“Everything goes up but our paychecks": Talking to Real People Who Live on the Minimum Wage

“Everything goes up but our paychecks. We have to live! Before there was middle, low, high class, now there’s either low or high. We have to keep up with the cost of living.”

Those are the words of Teresa, a checkout clerk at Food Emporium in New York City, who makes $11.95 an hour--she's been at the job since 2000, when she began making minimum wage.

This summer, we reported that some 73% of the jobs created since the so-called "recovery" began have been low-wage jobs--jobs that pay between $7.51 and $13.52 an hour. The numbers haven't gotten much better since then, either. And people who earn less have less to live on and certainly less to spend on the goods and services that drive the economy.

In response, some politicians, including New York City's Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, have proposed raising the minimum wage. And some reporters from New York Public Media hit the streets to find out just who in the city was actually still living on seven dollars and change an hour. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/776429/%E2%80%9Ceverything_goes_up_but_our_paychecks%22%3A_talking_to_real_people_who_live_on_the_minimum_wage/

[phasma ex machina]

1. Currency devaluation occurs when central banksters create dollars to fund their war machine.

[Initech]

2. My pay increased a whopping $0.61 / hour.

Minimum wage isn't a paycheck - it's a fucking insult. And we'll never see any real pay increases until we actually stand up against these criminal CEOs who are taking it all.

[KatyaR]

3. $.61--you're rich!

My job--worked 2 years, took a $1/hr cut in pay when I started but was told I could make it up quickly. Two years later, we finally get a 1.5% COLA, and my merit increase? SEVEN CENTS an hour for "meets expectations." Or 3.5 cents per year.

If one more person tells me I make really good money for what I do, I'll kick them in the nads....

[Initech]

4. I hadn't had a raise in three years before that too.

And my last one before that was $0.10 an hour. If anyone says us minimum wage people make too much money, I'll get my steel-toed boots and join you.

[richmwill]

5. I didn't receive a raise for the last 4 years that I worked.

Worked for Blockbuster- they had their own obvious financial problems, but really. I kick myself now for not standing up to someone about it.

[Starry Messenger]

6. k&r