Michael Gonzalez has worked as a chef at the McDonald’s at 125th and Lexington for two and a half years. At 27, he earns $8 an hour and lives in the Bronx. “I don’t rely on any government programs,” said Gonzalez, but his finances are getting to the point that he is seriously considering that possibility.
He earns between $160 and $180 dollars per week after taxes. His roommate buys all of the food and, when Gonzalez has a little money left, he tries to buy some too. After paying his rent for $350/month and a weekly $30 subway card, he does not think he can afford to go to college.
While the U.S. has experienced regular job growth after the 2008 Great Recession, wages have remained stagnant, particularly for those employed in service industries. In response to poor wages that do not enable people to support themselves, there has been a raft of state and local minimum wage proposals and increased attempts to unionize workplaces. Some politicians have supported these efforts because they realize that when people cannot support themselves, they cannot contribute to the economic growth of their communities.
As a fast food worker, Dijon Thornton cannot afford to live on his own and once his mother moves out, he worries about how he will pay the rent and eat. Thornton cannot afford to take the MTA to work, so he walks 40 minutes from the Bronx to Harlem. His mother helps him with food during the week.
Thornton earns $8 dollars an hour.
“I don’t want to be on food stamps because I don’t want a free ride. I want to make enough money to live off of the fruits of my labor, ” Thornton said.
Thornton, now 23, has worked at the Wendy’s on 125th and Park for the last year and a half. His starting wage was $7.25/hour, $0.25 above the old minimum wage rate. The New York State Assembly has passed a budget that will bring the minimum wage in New York State to $9 an hour in 2016. Even with that increase, he still will not be able to afford to pay his student debt from two years at SUNY Oneonta College.
Thornton and Gonzalez have worked with Fast Food Forward, a campaign funded by the Service Employees International Union. It has conducted research about wage theft and other issues affecting fast food workers and is attempting to organize them to support unionization and a $15 per hour starting wage for fast food employees, well above current minimum wage initiatives.
Harlem’s representatives in the New York State Legislature, Assemblyman Keith Wright and State Senator Bill Perkins support both the minimum wage initiative in the New York Assembly that would enable New York City to have a minimum wage of $13 per hour and workers’ efforts to organize into a Union. They are keenly aware of the impact that the dollars earned by fast food workers could have on Harlem. “I don’t think dollars are even recycled once,” Assemblyman Wright said at an interview at his office while speaking directly to the issue of dollars earned in Harlem not being spent in the neighborhood. He stated that this trend cripples Harlem’s economic growth.
But Harlem is not unique amongst African-American communities. According to the NAACP, nation-wide, African-Americans have 1.1 trillion dollars of purchasing power, but each dollar that an African-American spends circulates in the community for six hours, as compared to Asian, Jewish, and White communities that recirculate dollars for a month, 20 days, and 17 days, respectively. “These employees are not going to save the money, they’re going to spend it in our bodegas, grocery stores, and markets,” Senator Perkins said. “This can only benefit Harlem.”
Even with substantial improvements in the minimum wage, fast food workers will spend a significant portion of their income because they will have a greater ability to afford their basic needs. Thornton and Gonzalez are examples of people who cannot buy food or clothing on a regular basis. A significant pay increase would change this circumstance and these dollars could be spent in Harlem.
Governor Cuomo and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly agree that New York State’s minimum wage should be raised to $10.10 per hour and give localities the option of raising wages up to 30% of that amount. However, the Republican controlled Senate is an obstacle to passing this legislation and its leaders claim that increasing the minimum wage would hurt small businesses. Senator Perkins remains optimistic. “With control of the Senate shifting to Democrats after the fall election, we can accomplish things for low-wage New Yorkers,” said Senator Perkins.
Meanwhile, Thornton and Gonzalez are determined to stick together and win big changes. Gonzalez hopes to change the overall tenor of his life from one of daily struggle to one where he doesn’t have to worry about money all of the time. Thornton wants to return to college and earn his degree in music business and sound engineering. He hopes this would be attainable with a much higher wage.
Thornton thinks this is an issue that effects everyone. “Anyone is at risk for working in a minimum wage job,” said Thornton. That is why this movement for higher wages is so important. Fast Food Forward will stage strikes in New York City tomorrow, September 4 in an ongoing effort to pressure Fast Food Restaurants to provide their employees with a living wage.