During the 2016-2017 academic year, NWCOHS trainees
participated in “Work & Health” policy roundtables organized through a
collaboration between the West Coast Poverty Center, the Harry Bridges Centerfor Labor Studies, Center for the Study of Health in Public Policy, and the
Northwest Center for Occupational Health & Safety. These policy roundtables convened
researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for informal discussions on how
work, working conditions, and employment characteristics influence health, as
well as the connections between health, productivity, and economic
sustainability. The goals of these
roundtables were to stimulate broad thinking and to create networks between
academic and community leaders with interests in these arenas. Three policy roundtables were conducted.
NWCOHS trainees were assigned to interdisciplinary teams (comprised
of trainees representing programs in Construction Management Occupational
Safety & Health, Industrial Hygiene (Exposure Sciences), Occupational
Health at the Human Animal Interface, Occupational Health Nursing, Occupational
Health Services Research, and Occupational Medicine) and wrote op-eds about the
policy roundtable they attended. We will be sharing the op-eds in a series of posts! (author names have been removed for
confidentiality).
Student Op-Ed 1
Roundtable Session: “Effects of Minimum Wage Policies on the
Health of Workers”
Dr. Paul Leigh, an economist from the University of California, Davis, on November 9, 2016.
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| Dr. Paul Leigh |
The impact of low wages may extend beyond an individual’s
wallet. As an immediate impact, low-wage earners may have insufficient funds
for healthy food, shelter, and healthcare. Long-term, low wages may result in
low self-esteem, which in turn can have negative health effects. Low wages
mitigate the price of lost work, thus reducing incentives to make healthy
decisions and such avoid missed work. Despite this, low wages plague workers
across several sectors.
For example, animal workers in the US may include
agricultural workers (farm workers and workers in slaughterhouses or meat
processing plants), animal control officers, veterinarians and their support
staff, keepers and caretakers in zoos and aquariums, and even animal trainers
in Hollywood. Nearly without exception, these workers suffer from low wages and
inadequate benefits. The poverty rate for farm workers, including those in crop
agriculture, is nearly double the national rate, and benefits are rarely
provided. Animal control workers, who
are required to maintain licensure for their work, average under $17 per hour.
Veterinary technicians earn less than half the wages of registered nurses
($31,070 versus $66,640). Zookeepers on average make $11.71 per hour, and
animal trainers in the entertainment industry are often only paid while on set,
“volunteering” their time to provide basic animal husbandry.
The pattern of wage reduction is not exclusive to
agriculture and animal industries. US workers in manufacturing environments are
prone to the negative health effects associated with low wages. The median
hourly rate for a production worker ranges from $9-18 per hour, depending on
the type industry and level of experience. Low wages have a negative effect on
the psychological and physical
Workers who have low wages have lower job security and may move from job
to job more often. This is a problem as unfamiliarity with a work process
increases the risk of being injured on the job. The results of workers being in
poorer physical health can lead to them getting behind on work, missing more
days of work, and even losing their job, which can further increase
disparities. Health of workers in manufacturing workplaces,
which leads to decreased job performance as well as an increase in the number
of on-the-job injuries. This results from employees engaging in unsafe work
practices, such as taking shortcuts in processes to save time, not following
safety rules or guidelines, having decreased judgement, as well as being
distracted and disconnected from their work.
As a nation, we should broach this topic with empathy.
Moreover, we need to consider our own personal professional experiences
regarding what we value in a working environment. Would we feel comfortable
sending our children to a low-wage job knowing the financial, safety, and
health stresses imposed upon them? As occupational safety and health graduate
students, we call upon US employers and policymakers to take a stronger stance
on employment practices, which impact the financial stability and well-being of
our workforce. Although our country’s businesses have become a highly charged
political topic regarding their economic competitiveness on the world stage,
lowering wages in order to remain relevant and profitable is not a sustainable
or ethical solution. Moreover, it devalues our workforce’s contribution. All
economic sectors, including the aforementioned manufacturing and agriculture
industries, must consider the moral, financial, and sustainability benefits of
wage increases.
