Minimum Wage Struggles Full-Time Employees on WIC

There's a new photographic exhibit that shows the struggles of fast-food workers who make the minimum wage.

"I, Too, Am America" promotes higher wages for everyone.

Some of the photos show people who work at fast food restaurants and yet still have to go to the soup kitchen to feed their families.

The fast-food industry is an obvious place for low wage employees.

What people don't realize is that low wages are everywhere in nearly every industry.  There are people who work in comedy clubs for $10 an hour and they struggle.  There are people who work in retail for $10 an hour and they struggle. There are people who work in motels for $10 an hour and they struggle.

Personally, I know people in California who work full-time plus overtime in the funeral industry who struggle paycheck to paycheck. They make a few dollars above the hourly minimum wage, but to feed their children they are a part of WIC, which is a program that provides supplemental foods for low-income families with young children.

Why are full-time employees still in need of the supplemental WIC program to feed their children nutritional food?  This seems unbelievable that even though you work full-time plus overtime, the base wage is so low it is unlivable.

It doesn't matter the industry, there are low-paid employees everywhere.  Look through the jobs on Craigslist in your city.  Do a search on Craigslist in the job forum for "minimum wage" or "$10 hour" and you will find a ton of jobs.  But few families can live on those wages.

What shocks me is that people who are working full-time in one, two or three jobs, still struggle to meet their monthly bills.  They struggle to feed their children.  And they go deeper into debt.

There is no easy fix but raising the minimum wage in every city and state across this country to $15 an hour is a start to help families.  To me, there should be a federally mandated minimum wage of $15, but instead cities and states will have to create laws requiring those increases first.

If people want to work, pay them a livable wage.  I would rather see a business decrease the number of minimum wage jobs and pay people something they can live on instead of hiring a high number of employees for a low, unlivable wage.  Those employees who are paid livable wages will be more devoted to the company and help to build a brand, rather than tarnish a brand by exposing low wages that do not support families.