THE GREASE
TRAP
food places and other establishments will have increased by 14
percent. Other low-wage occupations are expected to grow by as
much as 70 percent. As more and
more people from places like Barrera’s Brooklyn neighborhood fall into
those kinds of jobs, it will likely
become harder for working people
to lift their families out of poverty.
As Sawhill puts it: “When the
rungs of the ladder are far apart,
it becomes more difficult to climb
the ladder.”
Over the last few years, a growing number of workers and activists have been trying to raise the
lowest rungs. Last fall, on Black
Friday, hundreds of Walmart
workers walked out of their
stores, demanding decent wages
and better treatment. In New York
City, 200 fast-food workers from
30 restaurants walked out in solidarity, and on April 4, more than
400 fast-food employees participated in a second strike, prompting organizers to boast of breaking
a fast-food record and inspiring
“When the rungs of the
ladder are far apart, it
becomes more difficult
to climb the ladder.”
HUFFINGTON
05.12.1