Raise the Wage

Last updated on: October 29, 2014 at 7:52 pm by Faithful Democrats

Raise the Wage 2014-10-29T19:52:51-06:00 Faithful Democrats

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As a rookie summer intern reporter at a Philadelphia suburban newspaper, I was paid $10 an hour. It was a pretty good wage for being only 19 years old, and a rising college junior. At 19, I only had myself to worry about with supportive parents paying for college, food, room and board. The $10 took care of my needs of my car and the occasional dinner out or movie with my then-girlfriend, now-wife. Still, those paychecks went fast. At 19, I wasn’t worried about saving money except for some fun in college, and I probably went out a little more than I should have, but we’re talking Olive Garden not the Four Seasons.

If I had stayed at that job, never earning a raise or promotion, today, in my 30s, I would actually have 25% less buying power than I did as teenager. Inflation has increased the expense for the same dinners, the fuel, the price of milk and every other staple one needs to live. To simply keep pace and have the same carefree lifestyle I had as a teenager, I would need to make $13.23 per hour now, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator.

When I think about this wage, seeing how it’s a full $6 above the Federal minimum of $7.25, I’m immediately disappointed by the repeated rejection to provide a basic quality of life by GOP legislators. So last week, when New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie famously moaned (Politico article) about talking too much about minimum wage so much, I said to myself, “That’s an absolutely ignorant thing to say.” It’s victim blaming. Why doesn’t he say how tired he is of the rich complaining their taxes are too high? Instead, he whines that there are 4 million workers in this country who have jobs, but can’t put food on their tables. These workers are not the stereotype we have in our minds. Their average age is 35, and 88 percent of them are not teenagers. Most are women with children and work full-time, according to Economic Policy Institute.

Raise the Wage campaign with the White House.

I run my own business, and I’m celebrating the 10-year anniversary next month. As the founder and owner of my photography studio, I have my own employee wages to consider. I demand much from my team, as do all bosses. While one could argue that as a boss, workers personal lives are separate from their work-lives, that’s naïve. Health, stress and many more outside factors impact the quality of my team and turnover. When inefficient wages cause outside stress, your teams’ ability to do its job suffers, thus impeding productivity and morale.

In President Obama’s most recent State of the Union address, he took executive action requiring most federal contractors pay at least $10.10 per hour for its workers. And, that same night, I vowed to match the President’s resolve, making my minimum a livable one. Most of my team makes more than $10.10 an hour, but no staff member makes less.

Morgan Spurlock, best known for his films Super Size Me, and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, has produced a new short-film series with Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen called We The Economy. These 20 short-film segments have me hooked, and one about minimum wage showcased how major cities like Seattle can transitionally increase to a $15 per hour minimum wage with success and a growing economy. There are now 23 states and the District of Columbia with minimum wage laws higher than the Federal standard, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. With half the country already placing a higher emphasis on work, why is it taking Congress so long to follow?

I want to pay my own workers more than the minimum, and I do. But I also need to attract more customers to grow my business. Since I offer a service that is more luxury than necessity, I need to attract customers with higher incomes. And with a higher minimum wage, and pressure to increase wages for workers across the country, I am certain it would increase my bottom line by expanding my eligible market to customers who can’t afford me now.

Despite this selfish capitalist reason to pass a living wage, it’s also the just and moral decision to make. The highest form of charity is to help others stand on their own. Caring for the least of these reveals a loving God and in Bible such as Matthew, Zechariah, Proverbs and elsewhere, fighting for the less fortunate with mercy is one of the greatest sacrifices one can make.

Right now, the White House is collecting stories about minimum wage workers called Raise the Wage, and what an gradual increase to $10.10 per hour would mean for low-income workers. Let’s support the White House, and tell your story. And let’s take action to help Democratic bills pass which increase the minimum to a living $10.10, and higher. Let’s enable workers to support themselves instead of relying on food pantries, Medicaid and handouts.

Joseph Gidjunis is the former Director of the Young Democrats of America Faith & Values Initiative and an award-winning photojournalist who owns JPG Photography in Philadelphia. He serves as a remote fellow for Eleison. He is married with two wonderful dogs.

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