The Week in Review
In advance of Labor Day weekend, there were nationwide protests on Thursday by low-wage workers at fast-food restaurants in more than 50 cities. Jobs and economic justice were common themes at Wednesday’s observance of the 50thanniversary of the March on Washington. A report on Monday said U.S. workers' pay isn't even keeping up with inflation. What do you think about the minimum wage, striking fast-food workers and the role of organized labor in America?
Fast-Food Strikes Many of the workers at fast-food chains are paid only the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which has not changed since 2009. Sanders is a cosponsor of legislation to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, about what it would be if the minimum wage had kept up with inflation over the past 50 years. After one-day strikes were staged earlier this summer, Sanders praised the workers “who are standing up for justice, who are putting a spotlight on one of the major economic crises facing this country.” While fast-food chains pay what Sanders called “starvation wages,” he noted that the top executives for the same firms are paid millions of dollars a year.
Read more about the minimum wage »
March on Washington “There has been some real progress in breaking down barriers of discrimination and segregation, including the election and re-election of an African-American president,” Sanders said of Wednesday’s 50th anniversary of the march. “On the other hand, in terms of unemployment, low wages and more wealth disparity, we are worse off than we were in 1963.”
Watch Sanders’ reflect on the March on Washington
Stagnant Wages Paychecks for U.S. workers are not keeping up with inflation, according to a report on Monday. The average hourly pay was $8.77 last month, down from $8.85 four years ago, according to inflation-adjusted data from the U.S. Department of Labor. That comparison is for what the Labor Department said was the average pay for workers who aren’t on a government payroll and aren’t supervisors.
Read more in The Wall Street Journal
What Do You Think? Should the minimum wage be raised? Do you support striking fast-food workers? Should states let unions represent public employees? Should workers have a right to join unions?
