Many workers say that the current minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough and they are protesting to raise the wage to $15 an hour. IndyKids asked kids from PS 128 in Washington Heights in Manhattan, “Do you think that the minimum wage should be increased?”
PHOTO: Claudia Hirsch
Brianni Zabala, age 10 – “I think the minimum wage should be increased because the workers need more money for their home to support their family. They need money because if they don’t pay the rent, they might lose their home.”
PHOTO: Claudia Hirsch
Wesley Rivera, age 10 – “I think managers should raise their wage to $15 per hour because sometimes my mom says that she wants to learn English to get a better job because she gets paid less than $10 per hour and she needs food stamps to do the groceries.”
PHOTO: Claudia Hirsch
Itzel Cortes, age 9 – “I support minimum wage and I am against it because I think people that work in fast food places should get like $10 an hour or $15, because they work really hard. But I also think that if you raise the minimum wage, they have to raise prices too. And nobody would buy a hamburger for $10.”
PHOTO: Claudia Hirsch
Shederick Alcantara, age 10 – “I agree that the minimum wage should be increased to $15 an hour because workers cannot support their families without a living wage which is the right amount of money to survive… it’s not fair to work full time and then raise your kids in poverty.”
PHOTO: Claudia Hirsch
Aillen Vargas, age 10 – “I think workers should get $15 an hour because people think it’s not fair for how much they work hard. People would rather not work than get paid $7.25. People are facing major problems today having a job that pays $7.25.”
PHOTO: Claudia Hirsch
Eliah Tapia, age 8 – “I think minimum wage should be increased because people need a living wage to live. They are getting “run over” by minumum wage because they can’t reach the things they need. So I think that their minimum wages should be increased into a living wage.”
