_Keara Shannon is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about human rights and race relations for The Maneater._
As President-Elect Joe Biden donned the role of Commander-in-Chief on Jan. 20, he quickly let Americans know what they can expect within his first 100 days.
To name a few of these actions, Biden promises to implement a vaccine distribution plan, issue a mask mandate on federal property and interstate travel, rejoin the World Health Organization and end the travel ban on Muslim-majority countries. These actions are creating turmoil among people of all political alignments, but as of now the hottest subject of debate on social media is Biden’s plan to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
There are those that already make $15 per hour or more in “skilled labor jobs” and believe that people working at fast-food restaurants don’t deserve to be on their economic level. To them, their hard work will be in vain if someone doing less work makes the same amount of money as they do.
There are two things wrong with this argument. The first is that it devalues fast-food workers and their labor. When I worked in the food service industry, I cashiered, answered phone calls, packed food, cleaned the bathrooms and dining area just to be rewarded $8 an hour. Fast-food workers clock in for hours upon hours dealing with entitled customers who think they’re better than them every day just to be handed a $5 bill and some singles every hour. “Flipping burgers” is not just that.
We’ve especially seen just how important these employees are during this pandemic. Restaurants are always open and taking orders. They have accommodated COVID-19 guidelines with curbside pickup or keeping their drive-thrus open to ensure business. Companies continue to find ways to make their employees work no matter what during this pandemic. We’ve relied on these staffers more than we realize.
Customers are flocking to fast food like never before at the expense of sit-down restaurants. In early July, spending at big chains was down just 4% year-over-year, compared to a 25% drop for independent restaurants and small chains, according to Business Insider. Imagine how much that gap has increased by now. By December 2020, a survey tallying every one in six restaurants also detailed that 90% of full-service restaurants reported declines, and their revenue fell 36% on average.
Even when we don’t want to leave our houses, we open DoorDash or other delivery apps on our phones to order food. Oftentimes, these fast-food restaurants are working during holidays, and their staff can’t spend time with their families. There’s always a demand for fast food, and they’re the ones making sure that it’s met.
Many teenagers start at fast-food restaurants and — if they live in a supportive household where their parents pay for their necessities — that is usually just enough to get by. Imagine if that wasn’t the case. Tuition, healthcare, transportation and a place to live are just a fraction of expenses that burden Americans today. People need a livable wage to be able to handle these costs, and what they’re given now doesn’t make that possible.
People supporting a family have an even harder time. Though a number of corporations, 29 states, the District of Columbia and at least 53 cities and counties have lifted their minimum wage above the federal rate of $7.25, I believe this still isn’t enough to get by. No person can live with this type of salary, even less so if they have needs to pay for. Everyone deserves to live a comfortable life and not struggle to make ends meet. However, America is built on not giving everyone the same chances.
This brings me to problem number two. America’s capitalist system not only makes basic human necessities like the ones mentioned above too expensive, but it also allows for CEOs to drown in their billions of dollars while the workers that keep them afloat get a crumb of that profit. It is estimated that McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinsk makes an annual base salary of $1.2 million, and USA Today states that “his target annual bonus opportunity was set at 170% of his annual base salary.” If that doesn’t concern you, then maybe knowing that Jeff Bezos makes about $321 million in a single day will.
People fortunate enough to not have to worry about money underestimate just how hard it is to live in a system built like America’s. Not everyone is lucky enough to find themselves in higher-paying positions. Factors like socioeconomic status and access to education make it harder for people to find these jobs, but even people fresh out of college have difficulties. Everyone’s path in life is different, and we shouldn’t judge others for where theirs leads them.
Instead of taking your anger out on the workers doing what they can to survive, why not ask companies themselves why the people most essential to their immense wealth make pennies? Diminishing the hard work of these jobs is the same tactic that companies use when digging out the spare change from their bank accounts and putting it in their employee’s paychecks.
Don’t think you’re a step above anybody when at the end of the day, we’re all in the same boat as the top 1% watches us sink from their luxury yachts. No matter where we work, unless we’re in the boardrooms of these top companies, we’re all being underpaid. We’re all victims of capitalism.
_Please consider donating to Race Matters, Friends. This organization is a nonprofit in Columbia that was started in 2014 after a Grand Jury acquitted a police officer of killing an unarmed Black youth in St. Louis. Race Matters, Friends is determined to fight for racial equity. According to their website, “We nurture conversations and actions about racial equity, racism, and structural inequality in Columbia, Missouri; the United States; and the world.”
Donate here: https://racemattersfriends.com/donate/_
_Edited by Sofi Zeman l szeman@themaneater.com_
