Students in the First Person: Why raise the minimum wage?
Three students tell us why they care about minimum wage increases this midterm election.
Derek Caquelin, a member of the University of Chicago's socioeconomic diversity club, knows what it's like to wonder where his next meal is coming from. The college freshman grew up in a household with parents who were scraping by on minimum wage.
He's one of three students interviewed in this second and final installment of Students in the First Person on how the midterm election's minimum wage battle is impacting college students. A proposal to raise it is on the ballot in four states: Alaska, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Minimum wage workers tend to be young. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, although workers under age 25 represent only 20% of hourly-paid workers, they make up about half of those paid the federal minimum wage or less.
Editorial Page intern Kelsey Rupp talks to Caquelin about his personal experiences on minimum wage along with Valentina Solano, a University of Chicago senior who, from her outreach work with the Illinois Latino community, knows the impact of wages on minorities. Rupp also talked to Alex DiLalla, a member of the College Democrats of Illinois working on the campaign side of wage laws. Share in their discussion by listening here, or downloading the podcast to listen on the go: