Hungry

The bulletin board in our break room has flyers that tell us we might be eligible for the earned income credit, food stamps or energy assistance from the local utility company. There is a toll-free number employees can call if they need help in determining what kind of assistance they might be eligible for, or help in navigating the system. There is a real need for this, because starting employees earn $8 an hour, which is the California minimum wage. Many of my co-workers have two jobs, some of them three.

Overall, the company has 150,000 employees,  over 80% of which are part-time with no benefits. One of my colleagues is a full-time employee, meaning she works 30 hours each week, and can be a part of a pretty good health care plan. Her take home pay is around $40 a week. The rest of it is payroll deducted to cover the cost of health insurance for herself, her husband and two children.

Our CEO earned $19 million last year. I have never met her, but I see her name and signature on a letter that appears near our time clock about four times a year, announcing an upcoming weekend where employees can get a 20% discount on purchases instead of the usual 10%.

I did some calculations, and if she works 40 hours a week, she earns $9,000 an hour. If she works a 60 hour week like many high level executives do, she earns $6,000 an hour. If she is a complete workaholic at 80 hours a week, she earns $4,500 an hour. I am not a math major, but there is a huge disparity between $8 an hour and $4,500 an hour.

I am thankful to have a job in this economy. I am a good employee and take pride in the kind of job I do. And make no mistake, I take full responsibility for the choices I have made throughout my lifetime that have brought me to this place. One of the reasons I am in college is so that I can better myself. I know that we need rich people, because they stimulate the economy in ways that people of lesser means cannot.  I don't lie awake at night worrying about money, because as I shared with you here, I know that I will be fine. But sometimes I do lie awake and think about this huge gulf between the rich and the poor in America. I think about the difference between $8 and $4,500, and it boggles my mind.

Susan

"Hunger Strike" written by Chris Cornell