Nickel and Dimed

After reading the first 100 pages of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, it was easy to see the hardships that low wage workers face on a day to day basis. The workers described so far had to face poorly maintained facilities, terrible schedules, and harsh living conditions just so that they could survive. Most had no say in any work matter and could not speak their mind due to the fear that they might get fired. This book, although written in 2001, exposes many of the cruel and inhumane conditions that low wage workers still face today. Some poverty stricken workers today do not receive breaks, have their tips taken from them, and do not receive Workers Comp. or any other aid set in place to protect injured workers. These common rights that are established for any worker by the federal government is often overlooked or not permitted by the owner. Today, it is quite common for low wage workers to perform a personality test or a drug test before being hired. These might seem like correct precautions to take, however the employer already has a set idea on what the answers should be. This in a sense dehumanizes the low wage workers because it basically forces them to give the correct answers, rather than allowing them to answer what they truly feel.

In terms of scheduling, low wage workers usually have no say in the matter. The owner or manager creates the schedule to their convenience and usually without consulting these workers in case they have scheduling problems. A good portion of upper level management that employs the low wage workers think with the mentality "It's my way or the highway". This common belief forces workers to either comply with the schedules or lose their jobs. Likewise, the low pay and harsh hours prevent low wage workers from getting ideal housing. Most are forced to find affordable housing solutions, sometimes found in the form of efficiencies or small housing with poor living conditions. In extreme cases, some of these workers are forced to live with friends or in their cars if they even have one. These poor living conditions are of no concern to a good portion of employers, and are often not factored in when trying to determine one's schedule or pay. The harsh reality is that this "land of milk and honey" is actually quite hypocritical. The United States prides itself in being the land of the free, but after reading some of Ehrenreichs experiences, I have concluded that this characteristic cannot be deemed true. Some of these workers truly are not free, but are rather barred down by their employers.

When contemplating ways to solve the low wage and poverty situation, I have concluded that a full economy overhaul must be implemented. By regulating the size that a company can achieve, monopolies would be destroyed and smaller businesses will begin to prosper and grow. Although the United States claims that there are no monopolies around today, I beg to differ. One company

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