Opinion Piece #2 - Minimum Wage Workers & COVID-19
Minimum Wage
Vanlierop
March 22nd, 2020
March 22nd, 2020
If there is one thing that COVID-19
has proved, it is that minimum wage workers should not be making minimum wage.
Watching society run headfirst into
a global pandemic is terrifying. It seems everyday more people are opting to
work from home, small businesses are closing their doors, and usually packed
public spaces have become ghost towns. Yet one thing still remains, the
ever-present rarely noticed minimum wage worker. While head office is keeping
clean and cozy at home McDonalds workers, Starbucks baristas and supermarket
cashiers are still working to keep society afloat.
These workers are risking their own health, and the health of their loved ones to ensure others can buy groceries, burgers and coffee. Yet their compensation for their work is well below living wage. In such dire times why are those working high risk jobs not being compensated properly for their work?
These workers are risking their own health, and the health of their loved ones to ensure others can buy groceries, burgers and coffee. Yet their compensation for their work is well below living wage. In such dire times why are those working high risk jobs not being compensated properly for their work?
The reality is many of these
workers are terrified. Scared to come to work, but even more scared to stay
home and lose a paycheck. The current living wage (the wage needed to meet
basic needs) in Victoria is $20.50/hr, as reported by Living Wage Canada. While
minimum wage is currently $13.85. This difference means many workers must find
second jobs, have little to no savings, and rely heavily on each paycheck to
cover expenses. Missing work can mean missing meals, rent or insurance
payments.
The Government of Canada has
recommended that people stay home in an effort to reduce the spread of
COVID-19. Offices have closed and people are working from home, yet many
businesses are still open. Companies like McDonalds, Starbucks and Tim Hortons
deem themselves essential services, claiming they are a source of food for many
people. The BC Labor Relations Code
considers essential services as a service “essential to prevent immediate and
serious danger to the health, safety or welfare of the residents of British
Columbia.” While grocery stores do fall under this category, fast food chains
do not.
If grocery stores are considered an
essential service, then employees should be paid accordingly. Other essential
services can include doctors and nurses, police officers, firefighters and
postal workers, all of which are paid more than minimum wage and given
extensive benefits for them and their families. Many of these jobs require
extensive schooling and training, which validates a higher wage. Minimum wage
workers may not be needing the same wage as higher educated workers but still
at least a living wage if they are an essential service.
Additionally, many of these
essential service workers take on a job they know could put them at risk.
Society looks positively towards doctors, police officers and firefighters, who
put their lives on the line to protect others. They are not only paid well for
their work but viewed as heroes among us. The opposite can be said for a
grocery store cashier, who is paid below living wage and often viewed as
uneducated and lesser in society.
Many people argue that an increase
in minimum wage will only cause an increased living wage, leaving workers still
struggling. However, other forms of compensation and support can help employees
move towards higher paying jobs. Programs aimed at helping minimum wage workers
go back to school or learn new trades can give those who may never have been
able to gain higher education a chance to get ahead. One way this could be
structure is once an employee exceeds 2 or so years of work with an employer,
they are given money towards schooling. Similarly, a registered education
savings plan (RRSP) where an employer can match or double the amounts employees
contribute, can be used not only towards schooling but to purchase a home.
Ultimately, without people stocking
our grocery stores and making fast food society would not run as it currently
does. As more stores shut down due to COVID-19 we see the value of these
workers. It is only fair that those deemed integral to society be paid a wage
that lets them live healthily in our society.
Sources:
As this pandemic closes more and more businesses to keep us safe, it rings true that there are many minimum wage workers still having to put their health on the line for their job. I definitely agree that jobs that are considered "essential services" should be paid accordingly. Without these hardworking people, we would be in an even more difficult situation.
ReplyDeletePreach! As the weeks pass with non essential businesses closing down and the population in isolation, I think people are forced to slow down. As horrific as this situation is, its shedding light on the systematic failures of our society. Its a time for introspection, and maybe when the dust settles, we will make some time for change.
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