What’s the point of spending decades fighting for a livable minimum wage if inflation is going to wipe out all your gains in one year? Is inflation just a conspiracy between the powers that be to effectively pay minimum wage employees less? —Chairman Meow
Ha! If only the powers that be had their act together well enough to organize a successful conspiracy. If there’s one thing I wish I could convey to QAnon types, it’s that the people in charge are just as stupid and disorganized as everybody else. Remember, kids: Not only is there no conspiracy, there isn’t even a plan.
I get why you’re suspicious, though: Inflation certainly seems like it could benefit the Walmarts of the world at the expense of low-paid workers. But things aren’t as nefarious as they seem.
When Oregon’s minimum wage law passed, in spring 2016, our minimum wage was $9.25. In July 2022, after the last of seven statutorily specified pay raises, the figure was $14.75. No wonder The Man is out to get us—we made him give us a 59% raise!
Well, not quite. Don’t forget, inflation has been plugging along this whole time, albeit at a lower level than now. When you factor that in, the total raise is only 29%. It’s going in the right direction, but it’s not quite the “shake Jeff Bezos by the heels and catch the money in a bucket” move that would really drive the billionaire class to declare war.
However, the main reason inflation isn’t a conspiracy to roll back minimum wage gains is that there’s actually an...
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