Low Income Workers In The Grapes Of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath details an era of American History where many citizens were unemployed as a result of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl that occurred during the same decade. The combination of these issues led many families–a large portion of those from the southern Midwest–to migrate to California, where they were forced to work for extremely low wages in order to provide for their families. After many years, America made it through the challenging economic and social times of the 30’s and 40’s, but problems surrounding low wages and income never completely vanished. In 2015, many low-income workers went on strike to protest the minimum wage, on which they were trying to survive (Horovitz 1). These workers included those from McDonald’s,

However, their journey to California was treacherous and once they arrived, minimal work opportunities were available. The little work that was found offered extremely low wages–some as low as fifteen cents an hour. Even in the 1930’s, that kind of income could not provide for a family–particularly one the size of the Joad’s. Today, many fast food workers work for minimum wage: the lowest pay in the U.S. resides at seven dollars and twenty-five cents an hour (UC Davis 1). Much like the migrant workers of the 30’s, this level of an income cannot provide for workers’ lives, especially if they have to provide for a family. In the article “Fast Food Strikes Widen into Social-Justice Movement”, Jorge Math, a protester fighting for higher wages, states, "Most of us have to get a second job so we can sustain ourselves." Fast-food and other low-income workers already work as “the backbones of these fast-food restaurants” for a single job and then attempt to work extra (Horovitz

The Joad’s and other migrant workers spent entire days in the fields, leaving before sunrise to pick crops and finishing well after dark. Without migrant workers picking, the farmers couldn’t run their farms. The same goes for fast food and other low-income workers today; they work as cashiers, make food, and clean around their facilities. Neither of these groups feel they receive a livable wage for these jobs, as the previous paragraph explains. Additionally, the owners of these large corporations are similar to the large-scale farm-owners in The Grapes of Wrath. The farmers in The Grapes of Wrath often called the police regarding migrant workers’ “Hooverville” camps or if there was any sign of protest from the so-called “reds”. This is similar to when the CEO of McDonald’s, Jeff Stratton, had a McDonald’s worker arrested after she spoke up during a convention about her inability to provide for her family because of low wages. According to “$5.2 billion McDonald’s CEO has $8.25 per hour mom arrested”, after the worker commented that she had been there for 10 years, he simply said “I’ve been there 40 years.” (Pizzigati 1) The large-scale leaders in both the 1930’s and today disregard low-income workers’ worth and workers struggle to provide and make ends