By: Laura Parral
The California minimum wage increase will affect East Los Angeles College students who work.
It is difficult to find a job and even harder to find a well-paid job. Many students at ELAC work to provide for their family and/or themselves; however, the $8 an hour is not enough.
A person who gets paid the minimum wage only makes about $16,000 a year.
Since their income is not enough they are forced to get a second job or help from the government, which could be stressful.
The increase of minimum wage promises to give them relief on the economic crisis.
After almost six years, the new law which would increase the minimum wage from $8 to $10 was passed.
The senate first approved the new California bill by a 26-11 vote. Subsequently by a 51-25 vote by the assembly.
Governor Jerry Brown signed the final approval without hesitation for he believed it was about time for an increase.
The $10 wage will take some time to be enforced since it is a three -year plan. The minimum wage will rise to $9 an hour by July 2014 and by January 2016 it will increase to $10 an hour.
The $2 increase may create some changes that are both positive and negative.
When the minimum wage hits $10, people will have more money and be able to provide more for their families. Also, it may help fix California’s economy because as people will be getting more money, they will be spending more money therefore moving the money around.
On the other hand, the increased could cause negative change, one of them being the loss of jobs. Because the employers will be forced to pay the minimum wage, they might not be able to afford all the employees they have, therefore discharging the workers.
Also, because people will have more money to spend and to pay the employees, the merchants will increase the prices of the products and services.
Not every employee is benefiting from the new minimum wage, like employees who are currently paid $10 or more an hour. Most employees have worked their way up to the wage they are being paid.
This is unfair for them because their wage is not enforced to rise by the government as long as they are being paid the minimum.
If an employee is paid $10 an hour; when the minimum wage is $10 they will not get the extra $2 they were making before, unless the employer decides to do so.
California will be one of the top states with a high minimum wage. Like California, other states hope to pass a new minimum wage that might benefit the economy.
Most ELAC students will face the changes the increase of minimum wage makes since it is a working class community.
With all the good and bad possibilities, people must be prepared for anything.
It will be great to get a better pay. It would also be hard to look for a new job if the negative possibilities occur.