Although success stories of those perusing "The American Dream" has been on the decline, it does still happen. Below is an article about Pamela Flood, a woman who stays the course seeking what she wants, even with being "Houseless".
Keep in mind though, the number of unhappy, unsuccessful and/or sad stories far out-weigh the success stories.
We can and must do better unto our fellow human beings.
Michael Love, IIO
From
New York City Council Member
Posted: 12/20/2012 3:12 pm
If you've been watching the news, you know that low-wage workers have
been standing up to their employers and fighting back for their rights.
These men and women, who work hard for low pay in airports,
supermarkets, car washes, and fast food restaurants are taking to the
streets and to the airwaves about the need for better wages, benefits,
and respect.
One such worker is a young woman named Pamela Flood,
who works at a Brooklyn Burger King, making $7.25 an hour. Ms. Flood
also works at a Brooklyn CVS, where she makes $7.60 an hour. In
addition to holding down two jobs, she's also maintaining a 4.0 average
while studying to be a medical assistant. Ms. Flood sounds like an
American success story in the making. She's working hard while going to
school to better sharpen her skills and build a better future for
herself and her three children. Day after day, she works, studies and
cares for her family; and at night she tucks her three children, ages 5,
3, and, 1 into bed at a Fort Greene homeless shelter.
It doesn't make much sense, does it? The American dream -- which President Obama perfectly articulated in his post-election press conference when he stated, "I've got a mandate... to help middle-class families and families that are working hard to try to get into the middle class"
-- is that you work hard and your efforts are rewarded with a fair,
honest wage. Why, then, is it that workers like Ms. Flood are forced to
rely on public assistance? It's simple -- the corporations that own
Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, Taco Bell and others would rather pay their
CEOs millions of dollars a year while hard-working store employees are
underpaid. This type of "trickle down" economics didn't work in the
1980s, and it has proven equally unsuccessful is 2012 as we see major
companies actually cut-back employee hours in an effort to avoid providing health care.
Two weeks ago, I joined some of my colleagues in escorting fast food workers back to their jobs one day after they bravely stood up, and walked out to protest their low wages and working conditions. Together with local clergy, and community groups like UnitedNY, Make the Road NY, and New York Communities for Change,
we stood to support workers because we knew that a strong show of
support would be necessary to prevent retaliation against workers by
store management. (Still, at least one Wendy's employee was fired for her participation, and later rehired after pressure from her council member).
We live in a political climate in which a narrative is being spread
concerning low-income people, and those who depend on public assistance.
It is important that we put a face on the 8.7 percent of New Yorkers
who are unemployed, and the great number who are under-employed
-- individuals who want to earn a sufficient income to provide for
themselves and their families, but are offered only
contingent or
part-time work that doesn't offer any benefits, much less a livable
wage. These multi-billion dollar fast food restaurants, many of which
are located in low-to-middle-income communities throughout New York
City, need to be held accountable for the way they treat their workers.
For too long they have gotten away with paying their workers only
slightly above minimum wage, offering no more than part-time work, and
easily firing any employee who challenged the status quo. With new
federal standards regarding mandated health care, this will only get
worse.
The brave workers who walked off of the job did so because they know they cannot afford for the current working conditions and wages to remain the way they are. They know change is necessary, but it is up to us to help force that change.
The brave workers who walked off of the job did so because they know they cannot afford for the current working conditions and wages to remain the way they are. They know change is necessary, but it is up to us to help force that change.
Let's face it -- we know that in situations like these, the eyes of
the nation are on us. There is no other city quite like New York. This
type of notoriety places us under a microscope when issues of economic
inequality are raised. This is, after all, the city that has consistently rejected
Walmart. But it is especially here that we see the gap between the rich
and the lower and middle-class get increasingly wider. It is imperative
that we set the national example and make it clear that companies
seeking to do business in New York City cannot be allowed to treat their
workers like second-class citizens. Workers like Ms. Flood should not
have to take on two jobs, only to have to rely on public assistance to
make up the difference for paychecks that always fall short. We as a
city are better than this, and we must step up and raise our voices to
help raise up low-wage workers.
Lest we not forget!
