Fast Food Workers in DC Strike

Recently in Washington DC, many fast food workers have are on strike, demanding a higher pay than just $7.25 an hour.  This is not just the case in Washington DC however, several other states across the nation have the same minimum wages.  These fast food workers aren’t even really making $7.25 an hour, but more like a high 6 something an hour; that is if you include all of the state and federal deductions taken out of each paycheck.  Fast food workers finally decided that enough is enough and went on strike, demanding a higher pay.

Fast food restaurants have been notorious for low wages, and usually just pay workers at the set state minimum wage.  The lowest minimum wage in the nation is a whopping $6.25 an hour leading to Washington State which has $9.19 as the minimum wage.  Fast food restaurants make primarily make their money by making their product for an extremely cheap cost to them and then charging a high mark up on the product to generate a large profit.  It may not seem like they mark up prices much because the cost of making the food is already very low.  Another way the fast food restaurants can generate such a large profit is by paying low wages to their workers.  The reason people work at these places is because they demand little or no skill or knowledge and is primarily manual labor, therefore uneducated people or young teens can work at these places as a source of income.

I myself work at a place which only pays the state minimum wage to employees.  I never really hear people complaining about the pay because the majority of my coworkers are still in school, like myself.  Many of us don’t mind the low wages because we are all just glad we have a job and a source of income too either save up for collage or to spend on certain things.

Obama has proposed a set national minimum wage of $10.10 an hour, but that has just been a proposal and nothing that may happen anytime soon.  Many agree with this proposal because it will help several workers, including themselves, by gaining a larger income.  The people who disagree with the proposal side this way because it would only cause the restaurants the raise their prices and therefore anger customers and have a dramatic effect on the economy.

Many strikes like this will continue to happen across the US in the future and there isn’t much the companies can do about it.  There are several benefits to having the workers work for small pay but also negative effects as well.  For now, the businesses are generating a tremendous profit and therefore will continue to pay their workers at the set minimum wage.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2013/1203/Fast-food-strikes-and-protests-planned-for-100-US-cities

"Fast-food Strikes and Protests Planned for 100 US Cities." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 03 Dec. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.