“Since the first fight for $ 15 in 2012, the movement has grown tremendously and accelerated as the pandemic exposed stark inequalities and dangerous working conditions,” said Rebecca Dixon, executive director of NELP.
Workers in companies that have contracts with the federal government signed after January 30 will also be guaranteed a minimum wage of at least $ 15 an hour, the Labor Department announced last month.
These increases, NELP recalled, occur near the tenth anniversary of the first strike carried out, and the first organized union in the fast food restaurant sector.
The minimum wage is supposed to be enough to provide food, clothing and housing for workers, and has remained, at the federal level, at $ 7.25 since 2010, an amount that adjusted for inflation equaled $ 7.15 last year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hourly workers with wages at or below the minimum level differ little among major racial or ethnic groups.
In 2020, according to BLS, roughly 2% of black workers earned minimum wage or less, while the proportion was 1% among white, Asian and Latino workers.
“Underpaid workers, especially blacks and Latinos, have mobilized to demand higher wages, healthy working conditions and jobs with dignity,” added Dixon. “In the face of a tight job market, employees have acted quickly to retain their employees.”
Among all job categories, service occupations have had the highest percentages of hourly employees paid at the minimum level or below. Seven out of 10 workers who in 2020 received the minimum wage or less, were employed in services, mainly food preparation and service.
“As has been the case historically, the industry with the highest percentage of hourly employees at or below minimum wage, in 2020, was in recreation and hospitality, almost 8%,” BLS said.
“60% of all workers paid at or below the federal minimum wage were employed in this sector, almost entirely in restaurants, bars and other food services,” he added. “For many of these workers, tips supplement the wages received.”
