Brooklyn, NY, December 15 — Today workers from a community mass organization in Bushwick had a march in the neighborhood to publicly inform both workers and the bosses about the updated law that has been passed in New York State, which will raise minimum wage to $8 an hour from $7.25. This so-called achievement is being praised by the community organization as another win for the workers. PL members have constantly reminded the workers that these reforms are only “bread crumbs” and will never be enough, because the bosses will always attack workers’ standard of living by increasing the price on rents, food and fares and that only a revolution can free us from this vicious cycle. The organization leaders always respond that something is better than nothing.
Documented and undocumented workers participated in the march and also gave speeches at the end of the rally. The real truth about the minimum wage reform battle came from the last speech by one of the women in the community organization, who supports the Party, especially during a crisis when her husband became ill, was given the opportunity to give a public speech. This is her story:
“I’m married. My husband got ill about a year ago, and ever since I’ve been forced to carry on all the responsibilities in my home now that my husband cannot work due to his illness. Earning $7.25 an hour cannot pay the rent, transportation, food and other expenses needed in the home, electricity and telephone, etc.
“I currently have two jobs so I can somewhat cover the expenses, and I know that on December 31 they will raise it to $8 an hour. But the rent also goes up, the price of milk and other products necessary for daily consumption, and now there are plans of raising the price of the Metro Card (fare card for public transit), so that means that the increase that we are going to receive will still not cover the expenses. It is good to have that increase now, but we need more. $8, $8.75, or $9 is not enough. We need a salary so we can live with dignity. We need $12 or more!”
This is a perfect example of how the bosses use sexism to make superprofits from the special oppression of women workers.
The ruling classes, which are just a few parasites at the top, need the wage system in order to steal from the labor power of the working class, which they have done since the start of class society. Even though $8 or $12 is better than $7.25, Progressive Labor Party continues to point out those workers need to destroy the capitalist profit system that imposes wage slavery on the workers with a communist revolution once and for all.