Barbara Ehrenreich argues that those in the workforce of minimum wage face struggles that affect their life styles, however they fight back tooth and nail too overcome these situations. In chapter two of Nickel and Dimed Barbara declares that those who fall under the ethnicity of “white” have a much higher chance of obtaining a job compared to someone of color. While reading this chapter some struggles that minimum waged workers faced are: housing standards, being able to afford food and having to face harassment from either bosses and/or co – workers. Furthermore, Barbara argues that people in minimum wage are forced to either fail or live in comfort. Her argument is valuable because it shows the system is very bias and is set to favor those
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This Motel 6 is in the latter category, which makes it, homier, you might say, or maybe only more haunted” (34). This demonstrates that many people are forced to live in standards that are not acceptable because their income is minimum and not enough to afford a place where anyone can stay. When some people in minimum wage try looking for apartments that are much better than they get turned down when they find out that places that might be suitable are overpriced and way out of their range. Barbara explains. “there are no apartment in Portland. Actually, there are plenty of condos and “executive apartments” for $1,000 a month or more, but the only low-rent options seem to be clustered in an area about thirty-minute drive south, in the soothingly named town of Old Orchard Beach. Even there, though, the rents are right up at Key West levels – well over $500 for an efficiency” (35). These hotels and places that many people look for to live in are all expensive. They do not fit the budget that anyone on minimum wage workers try to find. Those who do not mind the rent, find others who also want to live in those standards …show more content…
The minimum waged class than realizes that their jobs are not worth anything, and then begin to lose interest in their jobs. Barbara over hears tammy on the phone with a potential customer, “While I wait in the inner room, where the phone s and Tammy has her desk, to be issued a uniform. I hear her tell a potential customer on the phone that The Maids charges $25 per person-hour. The company gets $25 and we get $6.65 for each hour we work? I think I must have misheard, but a few minutes later I hear her say the same thing to another inquirer. So the only advantage of working here as opposed to freelancing is that you don’t need a clientele or even a car. You can arrive straight from welfare or, in my case, the bus station-fresh off the boat” (44). The good thing about some of the jobs that are minimum waged jobs are that it is much simpler to earn. Rather than a job that is paying extremely well but them needing anyone to have background
This Motel 6 is in the latter category, which makes it, homier, you might say, or maybe only more haunted” (34). This demonstrates that many people are forced to live in standards that are not acceptable because their income is minimum and not enough to afford a place where anyone can stay. When some people in minimum wage try looking for apartments that are much better than they get turned down when they find out that places that might be suitable are overpriced and way out of their range. Barbara explains. “there are no apartment in Portland. Actually, there are plenty of condos and “executive apartments” for $1,000 a month or more, but the only low-rent options seem to be clustered in an area about thirty-minute drive south, in the soothingly named town of Old Orchard Beach. Even there, though, the rents are right up at Key West levels – well over $500 for an efficiency” (35). These hotels and places that many people look for to live in are all expensive. They do not fit the budget that anyone on minimum wage workers try to find. Those who do not mind the rent, find others who also want to live in those standards …show more content…
The minimum waged class than realizes that their jobs are not worth anything, and then begin to lose interest in their jobs. Barbara over hears tammy on the phone with a potential customer, “While I wait in the inner room, where the phone s and Tammy has her desk, to be issued a uniform. I hear her tell a potential customer on the phone that The Maids charges $25 per person-hour. The company gets $25 and we get $6.65 for each hour we work? I think I must have misheard, but a few minutes later I hear her say the same thing to another inquirer. So the only advantage of working here as opposed to freelancing is that you don’t need a clientele or even a car. You can arrive straight from welfare or, in my case, the bus station-fresh off the boat” (44). The good thing about some of the jobs that are minimum waged jobs are that it is much simpler to earn. Rather than a job that is paying extremely well but them needing anyone to have background