Minimum Wage: My Case to Raise It

IntroductionIn my opinion, token(prenominal) betroth should be cramd. It is time for the United States to stand up for the original purpose of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The low wage is hurting the economy as a whole because it is squeezing the trim back income level so tightly that they boast to make choices between paying rent or buying food. The three main reasons for this attach be as follows. First, an increase in minimum wage would instanter stupor those at the dirty dog of the economic ladder. Second, by increasing minimum wage, you also increase the care for of turn tail. Third, because the monetary value of living has change magnitude so much, the approach of work must follow its lead. Due to these reasons, minimum wage must be raised.HistoryIn 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed. This was a reaction the hard work of women like Jane Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt who were trying to quit child bray and increase the standard of living in the poorest c ommunities. The labor unions were advocating for it as early as the late 1800s when women in the Lowell factories claimed they deserved equal pay and treatment. Its passage was also influenced by industrial disasters like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, which killed many of the young workers in wise York. The Jungle written by Upton Sinclair about the struggles of the functional crystalize in Chicago, influenced politicians and communities and caused them to start looking at its workers in a different light and with increased agniseing.It set the maximum work week, standards of child labor and overtime pay. It also created minimum wage. This is the idea that there is a minimum standard of pay that everyone should be given. It was set at twenty five cents an hour. The act succeeded in many ways but it failed in keeping pace with inflation. Originally, this was written into the act. Now, raising minimum wage to keep pace with inflation has stick a political issue. U sually democrats be in favor of raising the wage and republicans are against it. Because the federal official political science has failed to protect its peck by raising the wage, many states and cities have taken it upon themselves to raise their give birth wages.Argument againstThe conservative argument against raising the wage is primarily economic. They saythis action hurts the whole economy and doesnt help the lower classes at all. (Chapman) Their argument is that if employers have to pay more, they will limit the employees they have or even take their work overseas, which is a valid threat. They claim that in reality, the people who benefit are in higher economic classes because they learn to manage their businesses more efficiently and the boom lines their pocketbooks.My ArgumentAs my thesis demonstrates I disagree with the conservative stance. I feel that anincrease in the minimum wage would help the people intended. It would add value to what they do and keep up with the cost of living, as it was originally designed to do.The lower income families in the U.S. are hurting. Today more than 28 million people, about a quarter of the manpower between the ages of 18 and 64, earn less than $9.04 an hour, which translates into a full-time salary of $18,800 a yearthe income that tag the federal poverty line for a family of four. (Working and Poor) It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to raise a family on that amount of money. The argument has been made that you can make more money on welfare than working for minimum wage. What kind of lesson does that teach?So, is the answer raising minimum wage. According to Jeff Chapman in his brief for the stinting Policy Institute, it is. If the federal wage were raised to $7.00, the throne 40% or households would receive nearly 60% of the benefits. (Chapman) He goes on to say, Raising the minimum wage provides income support to families in need. While it is important to understand that the minimum wage shoul d not be judged solely on its efficiency at targeting low-income families, research shows that it does dependable now that.(Chapman)Business Weekly agrees with these finding. Lifting the minimum wage by $1.50 an hour, would boost the incomes of 10 million workers. (Working and Poor) My research indicates that raising the minimum wage would be an effective way to target lower income workers and increase their income. This would help offset the cost of inflation, as I will prove is a necessity.Originally, the wage was designed to increase as the cost of living increased. This system makes sense. If things cost more, people need to make more money to afford themnot luxuries, necessities. If this adjustment is not made, the consequences affect the family, not just the worker. Some experts on homelessness say the numbers are growing because of the widening gap between low pay and high rents. (Kaufman) Real pay for the bottom 10 percent of wage earners rose less that one percent in adju sted dollars from 1979 to 2003, harmonize to the Economic Policy Institute. (Kaufman)If the wage doesnt keep up, how can people afford rent? If I make just enough to cover my bills, and my rent increases but my salary doesnt, I have no choice. I would have to get another job, which may not be a possibility, try to work overtime, which my job might not allow, or move. What if I live in the cheapest apartment available? This is the roll that must be stopped. It leads to hopelessness, debt and in some circumstances, homelessness.Even if the minimum wage were not well-targeted at service of process those in need, it serves an important role in the U.S. economy and society. It is a fundamental statment of principle about the value of work, opportunity and the responsibilities of employers. (Chapman) Increasing minimum wage validates the worker. As the girls in Lowell were looking for acknowledgement of the value of their work, so do the workers of today search for validation for what t hey do.When the government raises the wage, they are sending a clear pass along that they value the workers and understand their position. The C.E.O. of Costco is quoted as saying, We no longer have a motivated working class. (Working and Poor) This is a huge problem. If you cant take pride in your work, whats the point of working at all, especially if you can take advantage of the welfare system? If no one values what you do, why try to do any better than the bare minimum?Raising the minimum wage demonstrates employer accountability. The government is making them responsible for the people their success rests upon. No employer should be allowed to unreasonably profit by exploiting the overlook of negotiating power of low-wage workers. (Chapman) Labor simply has no power anymore. The unions have been broken and they have no voice. soulfulness has to hold the employers accountable. Someone must step forward for the workers.An increase in the wage would do just that. As I have show n, it does have a direct affect on those in the deepest need. Everyone should have the opportunity to earn a decent wage. No American should be compelled to work at a rate that amounts to the federal poverty level. This is equally true for a middle-class youth working to raise money for college as it is for a single mother supporting a family. (Chapman)ConclusionMinimum wage is one pocket-size part of the Fair Labor Standards Act that was designed to protect the worker. Society saw its people dropping by the cracks and they stood up for those people, claiming that everyone who works hard deserves a chance to succeed. Minimum wage is the foundation of that success. I have shown three strong reasons for the need to increase minimum wage. The first is that raising the wage directly affects those in the greatest need.They do benefit from a raise as it corresponds to the raise in the cost of living. My second reason demonstrated this. As the cost of living increases so should the minim um wage. This way, workers can tardily adjust their earnings to cover new expenses and not have to make hard decisions that could greatly impact their families. The third reason is philosophical.Adding value to the worker validates the job that is being done. When employers are held to greater accountability, the working class feels they are appreciated. This is so important for our society. Welfare shouldnt have to be an option for a family unforced to work and take part in the economy. Without a raise in the minimum wage, this might be a serious threat. Equality means dignity. And dignity demands a job and a paycheck that lasts through the week. (Weisman) I feel this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. conclude my thoughts on this subject.