There is much discussion in our country right now about affordability. As May 1 (International Workers’ Day) approaches, I find myself reflecting on the large number of people in our area who are unable to afford the necessities of life. They work long hours, often at multiple jobs, and still struggle to provide adequate housing, food, and health care for themselves and their families.
Would anyone say that these workers don’t deserve more than merely to survive? Surely not. Yet, many employers by their policies demonstrate that they view labor as an expense to be minimized rather than acknowledging that workers are the engine that drives our economy and help individual businesses prosper.
It is becoming increasingly evident that a democratic form of government cannot survive in a society with massive economic inequalities. As my late husband says in his book on the living wage: “Severe inequalities in material conditions …can destroy the very bases on which legal and political equality are built.” Paying workers a livable wage is a means of reducing economic inequality and thereby promoting societal well-being.
In addition to this political argument for treating workers fairly, there are, of course, moral and religious arguments to be made. From FDR: “No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.” From the New Testament: “… for the labourer is worthy of his hire.” (Luke 10:7 KJV)
Diane Waltman
HATTIESBURG MS
