Dear next President,

I am a student in New York City. I just moved here last year from Georgia for seeking some extra opportunities that other states don't offer to the immigrants. I thought I might get a job and get at least the minimum wage to help my parents financially. I didn’t know about the minimum wage that much until I went outside searching for a job and discovered some reality which is unfair to all of us.

The Federal minimum wage for all of the employee in the United States is not less than $7.25 per hour according to 2009. Do you think it is a good amount of money if anyone from their family is the only one who works? Also, if you live in New York City is that enough money for living because we all know that New York is really expensive place to live in. I heard that fast food workers are getting $15.00 per hour which is ridiculous and unfair to other employees from other companies. “Boosting fast-food wages would make thousands of starter jobs disappear.” This quote was written by Sherk, J., & Weisbrot, M. in an article called “Should fast-food workers earn a living wage?” While I was reading the article, I was strongly agreeing with them because their every point of view were so correct and potent. If the minimum wage for every fast food workers will be $15 per hour, every people will quit their jobs and work in those fast food stores where they will earn more money which makes other companies frustrated because if they lose their workers, they might collapse for their business profits. In the same article the authors also said, “if they pay workers more than they produce, companies will just go out of business.” Which is also true because if the company pay a lot to the workers than they generate, they will run out of money and then they will have no enough money left to pay the workers neither to buy the components for making their things. There are lots of problems if the government raise the minimum wage because it will hurt the companies and the economy. On the other hand, if they lower the minimum wage, they won’t find any workers because all of the workers will run after those jobs which pay them more. For example, the fast food stores.

So my point of view doesn't raise the minimum wage for fast food workers and instead of increases their minimum wage, increase the other store’s minimum wage which will bring peace between every company and the workers will be glad to get enough minimum wage. There will be no competition and no boycotts from employees who don’t get paid enough and protest against the boss or the companies.

Sincerely,

Tahrin S.

References:

Yadoo, J. (n.d.). Issue Overview: Minimum wages. Retrieved from https://newsela.com/articles/overview-minimum-wages/id/21170/

Sherk, J., & Weisbrot, M. (13, June 12). PRO/CON: Should fast-food workers earn a living wage? Retrieved from https://newsela.com/articles/procon-wages/id/1860/