Saving for a down payment on a house or a security deposit on your own apartment when youre making $8, $10, $12 an hour isnt an easy task. Although there seems to be a gender gap in compensation many bills make it so there is equivalent pay for the work that everyone does. Created by. Its important that we have several ways we make money, just like its important for you to have a diversified retirement portfolio to weather the ups and downs of the stock market. "The restaurant industry has driven a significant amount of economic growth since the Great Recession, but many restaurant employees continue to end up hungry due to a two-tiered wage system that. To them, the promise of a wage in the range of $8-10/hour can seem high, and they may. Henry Ford and Wage EstimatesReview with students the history of Henry Ford's innovation of the "family wage" (see above). The term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. Download POV's step-by-step guide to organizing an event (PDF) , Learn about the history of wage policy in the U.S., including the role of Henry Ford and the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Understand the difference between "minimum wage" and "living wage", Calculate what amounts to a living wage in their community, Understand the kinds of things they can do to increase their ability to earn a living wage, Clips of Jerry Longoria's story featured in, AV equipment on which to play clips. A young gay man from Ghana struggles to reconcile his sexuality and love for his mother through a series of letters in this deceptively simple yet powerful piece. The Century Foundation. You know the companys making X amount of money, and for the amount of work they ask employees to do coming in on off days, coming in early, staying late, dealing with customers Im not doing it for fun.. Check to see that link is working before purchasing or b. Via theNew York Times'Andrew Rosenthal, I see the National Low Income Housing Coalition has a new report showing that there is no longer any state in the country where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a two-bedroom apartment atFair Market Rent. Its so ridiculously expensive, she says. The term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. Through past attempts, the, Did you know that millions of minimum wage workers cannot make enough money to be over or at the poverty line level and are actually a lot more below it instead? Paid family laws are getting more attention. Most formulas assume a family of four (2 adults, 2 children), but you might want to define a family as including a single parent and children, or as a couple with children and an elderly relative, or use your family as the standard, etc. They will see his story. Isn't that. How are minimum wages benefiting the economy, do it help increase the economy? Shes now divorced, but its been a big adjustment to her lifestyle. The current state of this controversial conversion in America is raising the current minimum wage, which are 7.25. The debate on minimum wage should be brought to everyones attention. Release Date: June 15th, 2005 Run Time: 60 - Minutes Synopsis: Morgan and his partner embark on an adventure where the two must live on minimum wage for 30 days. After viewing the documentary, 30 Days - Living on Minimum Wage (link provided on worksheet), students will answer the comprehension questions. 2016. Through the deeply personal truths of three local residents. Morgan ended up getting seriously hurt at work and needed to go to the emergency room. Until recently, she had a second job, and she feels fortunate that her mom is able to help pay her rent for now. Ehrenreich mentions that she had to work two jobs one as a waitress and the other one as housekeeping in the essay she describes how hard it was to run from one job and not being regarded with anything. But when it comes to what were trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on. US federal minimum wage is $7.25 which needs to be increased. She makes $14 an hour in a full-time role and then puts in an extra 15 to 20 hours a week of overtime just to pay her bills, and she feels like shes expected to be on call 24/7. This lesson is especially recommended for use with students at high risk for dropping out of school. List here any expenses you consider very important, but not essential (e.g., Internet access, cell phone, make-up, etc. If Congress can find the issues between why the rise of minimum wage is not working in Seattle they might be able to find a successful way to improve the problem why minimum wage has to rise at all. Also, more than three fifths of all minimum. Standard 1. What is a Living Wage? But shes also heard warnings that increasing the minimum wage would be harmful. Should employers be required to pay a living wage rather than a minimum wage? Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Note: This handout is included in the lesson plan PDF. Those opposing the $15 minimum wage must attempt to convince upper, middle, and lower class Americans through the use of commonplaces, inductive logic, and a deliberate argument that raising the minimum wage would cause massive job loss, increased dropout rates and encourage companies to outsource production. Two families featured in this documentary -- the Stanleys and Neumanns . Last time it was increased was in 2009. contrary to some belief, increasing the minimum wage doesn't kill the economy. The term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. For low-wage workers, the tactics their bosses use to get around paying them more, or to incentivize them to do more, can be particularly painful. Many low-wage workers rely on public assistance to get by. ", In Theo Rigby and Kate McLean's short film. In her essay Serving in Florida Barbara Ehrenreich states that the minimum wage is not enough to support a person. 1 Mar. Quizzes with auto-grading, and real-time student data. Shot over a three-year period in the n See production, box office & company info. Maternity Leave Society - 54 min - 6.78 The young mother returned to work three months after. Any amount helps. Given the facts, it is justifiable to raise the federal minimum wage as it would amount to a more livable wage, stimulate the economy, and provide better circumstances for workers of color and women. Like 49 cents is an adequate tip to deliver a pizza, Mayton says. A living wage must at least be greater than the poverty level. Ehrenreich made many discoveries during her experiment, most of which contributed to the assertion On (Not) Getting By in America.. ), On Henry FordA simple article summarizing the wage increase and Ford's contribution, Economic Policy Institute: The economic impact of local living wages, United for a Fair Economy's Responsible Wealth Project. Ive tried to have this discussion with people that Im living off of $11 an hour and its barely livable only because Im not having to pay my own rent, and they call me stupid because they say I should get a different job or manage my money better.. The food delivery service will now . A common misconception referring to minimum wage in the United States is that the current minimum wage is not enough to make a living and support a family. Some answers come directly from the film, while others require text to self and world connections. The stimulus checks shes received during the pandemic helped, but she spent them fast. As shown in the documentary "Waging a Living," a job that pays minimum wage does not provide a living wage. (Streaming video of the clips are available are also linked from this page. Does the current minimum wage meet its intended goal of helping workers avoid poverty? Minimum wage is a constant conversation in America. Some states have passed their own legislation increasing it. Its like saving one grain of rice a day, he says. The first increase takes the minimum wage to $11 an hour. If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today. The term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. What is the English language plot outline for Waging a Living (2005)? Invite a union representative to class to discuss union policy on wages and answer student questions about the role of unions in preserving worker rights. In some states, the tipped wage is $2.13 an hour. Add all the costs and divide by the numbers of hours per month that an average worker would work to find the hourly living wage for your community. (Voxs Dylan Matthews has a great breakdown of the evidence here.) The person next to you at the store could be struggling to buy the cheapest loaf of bread that he or she got off the shelf. And you can forget about living in New York, where the same apartment will cost 120 minimum-wage hours, or the equivalent of three full-time jobs. WAGING A LIVING chronicles the battle of four low- Read allThe term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. (She asked me to use a pseudonym because she was afraid of being fired.) The political impetus to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour is growing. See the Resources section for suggestions for starting places for additional student research on living wage issues. If you work full time, you should not be poor, but more than 30 million Americans - one in four workers - are stuck in low wage jobs that do not provide the basics for a decent life. Why give raises to some but not all?. They just wanted to do, well, better for all of the work they were putting in. In this program, which Ford called "profit sharing," workers over the age of 22 who had been at Ford for at least 6 months would be guaranteed a minimum of $5 for an 8 hour work day. Surviving off of a minimum wage job in America is a very difficult task to accomplish. ), Handout for Calculating a Living Wage. Although the cost of living is more here than in the US, your healthcare would be . The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 states that workers will be given a livable wage. Hard Earned Episode 3: Surviving on Minimum Wage | ENDEVR DocumentaryWatch 'Hard Earned - Episode 4' here: https://youtu.be/UWLlyQb-tp0Watch 'Hard Earned - E. Waging a Living: Directed by Roger Weisberg, Pamela Harris, Frances Reid, Eddie Rosenstein. With his daughter, Jamilah, Ronald remembers literally growing up in a library Wendell Scott was the first African American inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Minimum wage jobs were created for inexperienced teens but, now there are jobs where you start at the minimum. Thats why, even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. 0:00 / 6:14 Waging a Living - Documentary on Minimum Wage Tim Zhou 222 subscribers Subscribe 2.9K views 7 years ago Raising the minimum wage is a pressing issue that affects all. Michele Evermore, How Three States Innovatively Used ARPA Funds to Bolster Child Care, How Failing to Raise the Debt Ceiling Would Harm Womens Economic Security, Addressing the Looming Child Care Funding Cliff for Women and Families, Americans Agree: Child Care Should Be More Affordable and Available, Child Care Cliff: 3.2 Million Children Likely to Lose Spots with End of Federal Funds, The Application Process for Disability Benefits Shuts Out People in Need, Unless Congress Acts, Were Heading Toward a Child Care Cliff, Minnesotas Democratic Trifecta Pays Benefits for Workers. I went into this thinking that people that work for minimum wage in the service industry are, generally speaking, a kid in high school and a retired person looking for something to do in their free time, and thats not the case, he says. That still leaves out hundreds of thousands of its associates, including Hughes, a cashier. ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED: 1-2 class periods depending on the options you choose. The money it is not making a difference. Writes persuasive compositions that address problems/solutions or causes/effects (e.g., articulates a position through a thesis statement; anticipates and addresses counter arguments; backs up assertions using specific rhetorical devices [appeals to logic, appeals to emotion, uses personal anecdotes]; develops arguments using a variety of methods such as examples and details, commonly accepted beliefs, expert opinion, cause-and-effect reasoning, comparison-contrast reasoning). Some of the younger workers I spoke with were still living with their parents, and acknowledged that unless and until they got higher-paying jobs, they wouldnt be able to strike out on their own. She told me she works some 60 hours a week to try to make enough to keep her and her family afloat, since shes their main source of income. Ask students to write a persuasive letter reflecting their pro or con conclusions about a living wage and asking for specific action. Some echoed arguments against a higher minimum wage, or at the very least, expressed concerns about its implications. Alternatively, students can choose to make their case in person at a city or town council meeting. Over that same period, the value of the dollar has fallen by roughly 17%, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Ive always been taught when I was growing up that unless you absolutely cant do something, then try to do something, he said. WAGING A LIVING chronicles the battle of four low-wage workers to lift their families out of poverty. A single person without kids making the federal minimum wage and working full-time, with no time off or vacations, makes about $3,000 above the poverty line. They rented an apartment that is in a low income area with minimum furniture. Its not exactly a long-term solution, he says. Lightfoot and her team identified areas such as reducing the city's fines and fees, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021 (an ordinance passed in the City Council in November 2020), and job creation as immediate solutions for addressing poverty. Students should provide you with copies of their letters or speech, which should be evaluated by the depth of their argument, their use of evidence, their accuracy, and their writing/grammar. A national debate is underway in the United States over whether to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour from the current $7.25 an hour today, as more than 30 million U.S. citizens now live. Theyd rather work 40 hours, but they cant find work that lets them do that. Performance & security by Cloudflare. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead. It will also offer answers to questions like where did minimum wages get its start? She said she worries it would increase automation, because companies would replace workers with robots, or cause inflation, because they would pass on the cost of higher wages to customers. But many of them also emphasized they didnt want to come off as greedy they didnt want to seem like they had some sob story, or that they werent aware there werent others worse off than themselves. Some answers come directly from the film, while others require text to self and world connections. Pew Research Center defines "middle-income" households in the US as starting at about $48,000; a $15 minimum wage at 40 hours a week adds up to $30,000; at $7.25, it's $15,000. Overall, poverty is a battle for millions of Americans, and the minimum wage cost unfortunately plays a significant, Because the cost of living has welkin rocketed, it has become virtually infeasible to raise a family on a minimum wage job. These people are all living under the poverty line. BEFORE YOU BEGIN, define "family." Target, for instance, hiked its base wage to . Invite students to use what they have seen in Waging a Living to assess the minimum wage. And even though shes managing the franchise where she works, she still cant afford the health insurance the company offered. This is an issue if this is someones real life. The majority of minimum wage workers are between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. About 8 percent of US workers had more than one job as of early 2018, and women and low-wage workers were likelier to hold multiple jobs. Knows the role of government in regulating business, United States HistoryStandard 18: Understands how political issues reflect social and economic changes. If Im going to pick up extra shifts, Ive got to find somebody to take care of my husband, she says. The Dream Team - Secondary English. . The term "working poor" should be an oxymoron. For some workers, its hard not to wonder whether those extra hours are worth it. Its going to take a minute: He makes $7.25 an hour working as a cashier at Dollar Tree. To me, the big visual is the refrigerator, and how much is in there, and my own daughter coming over and saying, Oh, my goodness, you dont have anything, she says. Ford's policy was also likely motivated by a desire to discourage workers from organizing a union and to fend off government regulation (which Ford adamantly opposed). In the series Thirty Days, a man named Morgan Spurlock puts himself into certain situations to experience the problems some Americans face everyday. WAGING A LIVING chronicles the battle of four low-wage workers to lift . Some workers talked about feeling held back from life transitions, such as moving out of their parents homes, or, in one womans case, delaying her decision to get a divorce. Mr. Spurlock decided to live off of minimum wage in the state of Ohio. 30 Days - Living on Minimum Wage Video Guide. DeSean Smith, a student whos currently working at a grocery store in Philadelphia to help pay his tuition, says hes just tired of working so hard for $9.25 an hour. A good example is the living wage law passed in the city of Baltimore in 1994. The evidence suggests a higher minimum wage would be a net positive for workers, but those concerns are understandable. This lesson is designed to help students get a better handle on the reality of daily expenses for an adult, and to demonstrate that what they may see as a good wage is barely adequate for someone trying to live on their own. Second, were not in the subscriptions business. According to MITs living wage calculator, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 isnt enough for full-time workers to cover their basic expenses in any state in the union. When talking about what wages they felt would be fairer, or how making more would change their lives, all the workers I spoke with said theyd of course like to make more money. Record all estimates in a place where students can see them and leave them posted throughout the lesson. This can have the Americans who are voting get more interested into that specific issue and determine the right candidate for his or her. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.) Society - 59 min - 8.21 In America, the rich are getting richer. It feels like its keeping me from moving on in my life.. The Century Foundation A study in my fourth source Jacob Vigdor, an economist at the University of Washington and one of the authors of the reportleading the researchers to conclude that the minimum wage reduced the number of hours worked quarterly by 3.2, roughly 15 minutes each week.Those figures do not include workers without jobsWorkers employed by thriving businesses who did not lose any hours could have enjoyed welcome gains. Some states are already taking action, 13 states plus DC have already increased minimum wage. A single-bedroom apartment in bargain-basement South Dakota still requires a 50-hour workweek at minimum wage, while an average-affordability state like Texas takes 72 hours. Even at 40 hours a week, that amounts to less than $22,314, the poverty level for a family of. His girlfriend got a job at a coffee shop. Minimum WageAsk students to compare their wage estimates to the current minimum wage.Keep in mind that the Federal and State minimum wage levels may differ. The current Federal minimum wage is $5.15/hour (though legislation is pending to raise it incrementally over three years to $7.25). With the federal minimum wage currently stuck at $7.25 an hour, even Arkansas and West Virginia, the two most affordable states, require a 63-hour workweek. In September, Walmart said it would raise wages for 165,000 workers in its bakery, deli, and auto care roles. As a class, brainstorm a list of items that would need to be factored in when determining a living wage. It made me appreciate the NHS more, which is not great, but its reasonable. Patrick Haggerty grew up the son of a dairy farmer in rural Dry Creek, Washington, during the 1950s. Morgan got a job in construction that paid a little better than the temp agency was offering him. How many of those jobs would someone without a high school diploma be qualified to do? The makes the minimum wage still around 25% less than what . He emphasizes he doesnt want a pity party, he just wants to be able to more comfortably get by. Question: Watch the documentary "Waging a Living" and answer the questions below: The federal government and all states have a minimum wage. But right now, far from the bright lights, star athletes and adoring fans, the tournament is being built on the backs of 1.6 Ronald Clark's father was a custodian of a branch of the New York Public Library at a time when caretakers, along with their families, lived in the buildings. Lesson Plan: Living Wage v. Minimum Wage: What's the Difference? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmSGEGOVI34&t=562s. Assign students to research specific costs for goods and services in their community. America purports to be a country of workers a place where if you try hard enough, put in the time and effort, youll make it to the middle class, or at the very least be able to build a solid life. In New York fast food workers pay was a approved to $15 (minimum wage). Letters can be sent to either. Waging a Living is a necessary humanization for a demographic often shortchanged to buzzwords or percentages in a political speech. Her husband is a disabled veteran, so she balances work with taking care of him. She also recognizes that many of her colleagues who are much older than her and have families are barely making it on the low wages theyre paid. Still, he worries a higher federal minimum wage might hurt small businesses, a talking point often spouted by opponents of increasing the minimum wage. CLIP 5: Jerry Loses His Job 56:42 - 58:58Lost his job, has a new one where he is paid less58:20 Talks about being stuck where he is at, life might be easier if he was in a relationship, wants to go to Disneyworld with his kids58:39 Believes that his dreams will come true if he works hard at it, but makes the comment that some people's dreams get torn downv. Will you support Voxs explanatory journalism? I would have liked to have moved out and be living on my own right now, but I know with the money Im making now, things would not be much better for me, says Adam, a Walmart worker in Virginia in his late 20s. In recent weeks,. Weisberg follows four Americans over a period of three years in Waging a Living, three women and one man. But its hard to be definitive: Economic theories and estimates cant erase fears that even in a scenario of very few losers, you could be one of them. It is not a wage meant to live off of but the minimum wage job is supposed to be a temporary job as you climb your way up to your own personal. Minimum wage increases are popular: A recent Vox/Data for Progress poll found 61 percent of voters supported Democrats plan to gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2025. The Century Foundation If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Some answers come directly from the film, while others require text to self and world connections. January 8, 1992. . Income plays a big role in creating a society that is capable of doing many great things. But some low-wage workers still have anxieties about a federal wage increase, even though their current situations arent particularly sustainable, and though they know their lives and those of their coworkers would be much better on a more livable wage. Stars Morgan Spurlock Alexandra Jamieson Ted Kennedy See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist 1 User review The federal government and all states have a minimum wage. On the other hand, workers who had a hard time finding a second job to make up for their lost hours might have been earning much less.(Source 4) The rise of the minimum wage is not working in one place, it does not mean it will see the same results in other places, the first step of improvement is identifying the errors. In 2020, the European Commission launched a new Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: It is during their high school years that many people hold their first "real" jobs. But is that enough to live on. Nearly half of U.S. states raised their minimum wages at the outset of 2023. Option 2:If time is an issue, use the handout to discuss the kinds of items that must be included when calculating a living wage. Neither is Cindy Casey, who manages a Burger King in Georgia. Those people have to live penny to penny for food, water, and a place to sleep. He has an emotional reunion with them. WAGING A LIVING chronicles the battle of four low-wage workers to lift their families out of poverty. n.p. There have been many issues on the topic of increasing the minimum wage from ten to fifteen dollars because it can cause inexperienced workers having a tough time getting or looking for jobs, families not being able to live on the minimum wage the way it stands now, and businesses not being able to create more jobs to hire more workers. Specifically how low the minimum wage was (~$5) and that it hadn't been raised for a while. In the late 1950s, Marta's mother found refuge for her family in Williamsburg after leaving her village in Puerto Rico and enduring homelessness and hunger elsewhere in New York. Many cities and states have already begun to gradually phase in wage hikes, and while Democrats failed to get $15 by 2025 into the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill passed in March, the fight for $15 continues. James, a Papa Johns delivery driver in Florida, works the night shift so he can take care of his mother and grandmother, both of whom have health problems, during the day. ", a letter to the editor of a local newspaper or national news magazine, their members of Congress and/or representatives in the State Legislature. Its completely impossible to live on $8.50, she says. That's equivalent to about $13.34 per hour for a full-time worker. Once students have a final figure for the living wage, ask for reactions. He started off with one week worth minimum wage ($300). Eating, paying for health insurance, all the bills that normal people have those dont go away just because you dont make a lot of money, those things all exist, he says.
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