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L.A.'s Slow Walking Minimum Wage Hike

The $15 minimum wage fight is gaining some ground, but when Los Angeles voted for a $15 an hour minimum wage all they did was slow down the momentum of the fight for the city wants to spread the wage hike out for five years—this is not good and will do more harm than good for the wage inequality fight. When the five years are up and workers are making $15 an hour minimum wage, inflation will negate the increase and workers will need a minimum wage of $18 to $20 an hour. The wage slaves need to demand $15 an hour NOW, not in five years, and a work week of 38 to 40 hours week paid sick leave, regular shifts so workers can plan for childcare or be able to further their education. The $15 an hour minimum wage, like Los Angeles, looks good in the newspaper headlines but the devil is in the details and the details do not look that good. The corporations are losing and what they are doing is just a tactical retreat until they can regroup and try to change public perception and by spreading out the wage hikes for two to five years is their answer to the gains wage slaves have made. To be sure they, the oligarchies, have not given up the fight against workers and unions. Workers must not let up on their fight, in fact, now is the time to push harder because the corporations are in retreat. We cannot give them breathing room to form an attack against us. Now is the time to move the goal post. No more slow walking wage hikes, which we knew they would try, because we know from Art of War the best defense is a good offense, and the corporations are not dumb they will figure that out soon. We must keep up the pressure for at this time the people have momentum in the streets. Remember apathy could be out worst enemy and our downfall. Not succumbing to apathy were McDonald protesters on May 20th. For the second year in a row, Service Employees International Union organized thousands of protesters to gather outside the meeting place for McDonald’s stockholders. McDonald’s is the largest fast food franchise company and sets the standard worldwide. The large turnout shows the growth of the movement and the strategy is working as more people, like student workers, adjunct professors and retail workers are joining forces with and supporting other workers in the same predicament.
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