Economy
This Holiday Season, Let's Turn Retail Jobs Into Middle-Class Ones
Higher wages mean more engaged employees, better customer service and higher profits.
As Americans rush out on Black Friday, it’s a good time to reflect on the meager wages paid to the people selling us all this stuff. And it’s high time to turn these low wage jobs in which millions of Americans toil into better ones that can actually support their families.
The past several months have seen mounting efforts to raise the minimum wage, through electoral processes and also protests like the kind that drew 300 demonstrators to a McDonald’s in Times Square in September. Activists have also planned protests for Black Friday: Walmart workers are expected to gather outside 1,600 stores today to agitate for a $15 minimum wage and fairer schedules for the third year in a row.