WPIX-TV, New York, July 29 2013
... Workers from several fast food franchises, organized by the New York City group Fast Food Forward, staged a one day walk out to coincide with similar protests in cities like Chicago and St. Louis. It was to shout the message that even though they work long hours, they are still being pulled under by the riptide of poverty. ...
A recent report by the Congressional Research service paints a more grim picture for the low wage worker. It shows that the purchasing power of the current minimum wage has been on a downward path since 1968, when it stood at $1.60 - the equivalent of $10.70 in May 2013 dollars.
Those arguing against a wage increase, some who are in favor of abolishing the minimum wage altogether, cite the pain it will cause small businesses. But the Group BUSINESS FOR A FAIR MINIMUM WAGE, a group that has attracted support from 4,000 small business groups and owners, argues that Main Street suffers when the economy continues to collapse around them. “When the customer base is undermined because wages are so low, they (small businesses) feel it directly,” Holly Sklar, founder of the group recently told Bloomberg Businessweek. ...
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