Living wages: a US perspective
| Published date | 02 October 2017 |
| Pages | 863-874 |
| Date | 02 October 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-07-2017-0153 |
| Author | Stephanie Luce |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations,Employment law |
INTERNATIONAL
Living wages: a US perspective
Stephanie Luce
Murphy Institute, School of Professional Studies,
City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to provide background on the US living wage movement, with
particular attention to recent victories, and also the ways in which the US movement differs from living wage
movements in other countries. It begins with some technical distinctions of terms, then analyzes the
campaigns and movement for higher wages, and considers some of the challenges the campaigns have faced.
It will conclude with some discussion about the future of the movement.
Design/methodology/approach –This is a general review of living wage campaigns in the USA. This is
based on a review of existing literature and the author’s own prior research and participant observation.
Findings –The author argues that the initial living wage movement that began in the early 1990s was
limited in scope but successful in building coalitions and political power to launch a much more expansive
movement to raise wages in 2012.
Originality/value –This paper is a general summary of the last 20 years of living wage campaigns. It does
not include new research.
Keywords Labour, Living wage, Minimum wage
Paper type General review
Introduction
The USA has had a federal minimum wage since 1938, but the initial legislation, the Fair
Labor Standards Act, contained no formula for setting the wage level; neither did it contain
a mechanism for adjusting it in the future. Instead, the wage was increased only with an Act
of Congress –something unlikely to happen without strong pressure from social movements
or trade unions (US Department of Labor, 1988; Waltman, 2000). The wage was raised at
various times in the first 30 years, but peaked in 1968, and was raised infrequently
afterwards. By the early 1990s, the federal minimum wage had fallen far below the hourly
wage a worker with a family needed to meet the federal poverty line (Bernstein and Schmitt,
2000). Advocates appeared unable to pressure Congress to raise wages at the national level.
In response, labor unions and community organizations began to launch local “living
wage”campaigns. These were limited in scope but began to put in place the foundation of a
much larger movement that would over the next 20 years form one of the most successful
recent social movements in the country (Luce, 2004; Moberg, 2000).
This paper provides background on the US living wage movement, with particular
attention to recent victories, and also the ways in which the US movement differs from
living wage movements in other countries. It begins with some technical distinctions of
terms, then analyzes the campaigns and movement for higher wages, and consider some of
the challenges the campaigns have faced. It concludes with some discussion about the future
of the movement. The paper is based primarily on a synthesis of existing literature as well
as the author’s own experience working with and researching living wage campaigns
for 20 years.
Employee Relations
Vol. 39 No. 6, 2017
pp. 863-874
Emerald Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-07-2017-0153
Received 7 July 2017
Accepted 14 July 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
©Stephanie Luce. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and
create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to
full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at
http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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Living wages
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