A higher minimum wage may very well be coming up for a vote in Washington.
Many say the marketplace should determine the worth of employees. This is true. But traditionally wages have also been a negotiation between management and workers. And decent wages and working conditions eventually became a social contract of sorts. In the beginning, this struggle had the look of class warfare and near upheaval. Remember Seattle’s 1919 citywide shutdown. And the workers shot dead in Everett. I think much of what we enjoy in life today came from those struggles. But the present class conflict, like everything today, is more complex.
There are many facets to think about. For instance, $15 an hour brings us back to what entry level jobs were paying in my youth, even for teenagers. And higher wages will curtail indirect subsidies of corporations like Wal-Mart, whose employees, more than not, receive government assistance. Poverty and crime are also inextricable. By enacting this increase we’ll end up with more culturally diverse neighborhoods. That will lead to more upward mobility.
It’s also important to remember lower-wage workers usually spend most of their money and do stimulate the economy with every new dollar they get. One name for this idea is “bottom up.” And less income inequality has been nearly proven to be healthy for business. There are many studies on this. Even the scoundrel Henry Ford understood that he’d benefit when his employees could afford his cars. Most importantly, societies with less income inequality generally have better physical and mental health and fewer social problems of all kinds.
Jobs will probably be lost from Seattle’s new wage laws. Many more will likely be created. The cost of government will probably decrease. No one can predict much for sure.
But let’s remember no one can eat emotionally charged rhetoric. Let’s keep our minds open. Perhaps an increase in the earned income credit could be a partial solution. No matter what, let’s expect our leaders to present a masterfully written minimum wage law or initiative. For the overall health of our forward thinking state.
Rick Walker
Snohomish
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