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First published: Thursday, March 21, 2002 opinion
section of the Albany, NY
Times Union How different from John, a nightly resident years ago at an Albany homeless shelter, who knew hunger intimately: "It's like living every day with a bad toothache.'' My temporary and minor hunger will end in 14 hours.
I choose, each Lent, to fast from solid food for 40 hours. It's
part of the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition's attempt
to ask, nudge, urge, implore and pray for New York's lawmakers
to change some of the state's worst legislation, This year, I think, the lawmakers and governor are going to do it. A wealth of heroic action following Sept. 11 attacks gives precedence for responding to the worst with the best. One of New York's worst laws, in terms of indignity and discrimination, is the "exclusion'' of farmworkers from basic rights and protections, including a day of rest each week and overtime pay, that most workers take for granted. During the short harvest season, most farmworkers say they would choose to work on Saturday or Sunday, but to not be afforded a legal "day of rest'' option is degrading and dehumanizing. Another "worst'' is New York's minimum wage, frozen at the federal level of $5.15 an hour since 1997. Meanwhile, 10 other states have raised their minimums, including neighbors Massachusetts ($6.75), Connecticut ($6.75) and Vermont ($6.25). How could these states sacrifice their competitive business edge to New York? "It's the right thing to do,'' they all argued during debate. In light of these raises, the usual rhetoric against a New York increase sounds silly. For example, "New York should wait for the federal government to act so there's a level playing field.'' Did California ($6.75) or Rhode Island ($6.15) wait? Because the minimum wage, at either the federal
or state level, increases infrequently and irregularly, it does
not keep pace with inflation. The U.S. Department of Labor admitted
that "by 1996, the minimum wage adjusted for inflation was
approaching a 40-year low.'' Now, in 2002, some say it is again
that low. That is why the state of Washington, in raising its
minimum wage to Lessons learned from the last minimum wage raise of five years ago are pertinent. First, it was adults, not teenagers, who benefited most. Forty percent of minimum wage workers are the sole breadwinners in their families. Second, the raise didn't cause the sky to fall on the state's economy. In fact, a 1999 survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors showed that 90 percent of small business owners said the hike had no effect on their employment or hiring decisions. Third, the minimum wage increase created positive ripple effects in the low-income communities that needed it most. Raises for workers at the bottom are spent within local neighborhoods, not on out-of-state vacations. Fourth, the study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 67 percent of adults requesting emergency food were workers. Almost half worked full-time. And officials in 58 percent of the cities surveyed identified low-paying jobs as a primary cause of hunger. This means the original intent of the minimum wage has been reversed. Envisioned as an anti-poverty initiative, New York's present minimum wage of $10,712 annually is so immorally low "it causes hunger,'' says the Conference of Mayors survey. Those opposed to ending the exclusion of farmworkers and increasing the state's minimum wage claim their economic priorities are about "providing opportunity and incentive for all.'' Denying farmworkers overtime pay, a different but equally essential issue as time off, is an incentive? Allowing, even sanctioning, a minimum wage that requires the use of food pantries, soup kitchens and food stamps is opportunity? Surely the Empire State can do better for those who need it most. From an empty stomach that hungers for simple justice, I pray there will be agreement to do the best this year for those at the bottom. Brian O'Shaughnessy is statewide coordinator of the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition.
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