Wages in America

   I like to pick topics that I don't have a definite opinion on. A letter from the NY times editor was addressing the fact that Mr. Obama had declared wages were on the rise and that the president's statement may not have been 100% truthful. This article points out that wages have only risen an average of 3 cents over the last three month period, which is the smallest increase in years.
   The article also had a picture of protesting fast-food workers demanding higher pay. This is what really caught my attention, because I believe that people working in fast-food are ridiculous to think they deserve 15 dollars an hour. I read that the average EMT makes only about 16 dollars an hour and the average firefighter makes around the same. Both these careers require schooling. My wife has a Bachelor's degree and makes under 15 dollars an hour. There is no way that someone operating a fry-o-later or flipping burgers should make as much as emergency service personnel. There is a part of me that says these people didn't work hard enough to better their lives and they are reaping what they sowed.
   The part of me with a heart empathizes with people trying to live off of near minimum wage. I imagine it must be pretty tough. I question if Corporate America has an ethical obligation to give their employees a decent wage? There is so much talk about ethical standards and corporate responsibility, but at the end of the day a corporation's number one goal is to make money for their shareholders. I fear a corporation will almost always choose the option that makes them the most money. Many good jobs have already been moved overseas and I have no doubt that one day these fast-food workers jobs will be automated to save money.
   I wish the best for everyone, but I don't think workers will ever be able to force corporations to pay them more because the workers are so easily replaceable. Instead of protesting, these workers would better serve themselves by getting an education and a job that pays more.


Leonhardt, D. (2015, January 23). Letter from the editor: 2015's big question. The New York Times.
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