Recently the newspapers reported that the legislature was considering increasing the minimum wage. Talk spread through the working youth community about the benefits of this seeming largesse from the state. The cost of living has rapidly risen from inflation , and higher wages are not a so much a luxury but a necessity for survival. The bill passed, and the wage indeed was increased - for everyone but those under 19. Young people are considered "entry level" workers, and so should not be paid as much. This is discrimination of the same variety as unequal pay on the basis of gender or race, yet this was either ignored or not noticed, and the bill passed unanimously. Whatever happened to equal pay for equal work?

Children and youth form society's cheap labor force. They are like the Untouchables of caste India, doing the demeaning and disgusting work no one else will. Young laborers were called by activist Mother Jones "the cheapest and most exploitable natural resource." Yet when the legislature had a chance to increase the young laborer's wages to something they could get by on, they instead give more money to the older generation while keeping the youth at their low status - underpaid and overworked. The legislature justified this action by assuming that young people only spend their money on "frivolous expenses", CD's, entertainment, clothes and the like.

This is stereotyping. More likely youth workers are toiling for more serious reasons of survival. Youth are trying to support their families or children, or struggling to pay for an education, far from the frivolity assumed by our leaders. In their jobs young people sweat and toil just as hard as an older person doing the same task, and yet are paid less. They deserve equal pay for equal work. In fact, the work may be unequal - with the youth doing more. The young person sweating away their childhood in a sweatshop, factory, or other demeaning job does far more actual labor than some highly paid legislator! .

By denying youth a living wage to match inflation, the government is - whether they are aware or not - keep them in their underclass status and unable to advance. It is a catch - 22 situation. Youth need to work to pay for an education, but cannot get one because they need to work. This just perpetuates the cycle of dependancy that will keep young people a cheap and easily exploitable source of labor. Feminists have long been active against pay disparities because of gender. Now youth activists need to speak out against unequal wages, and demand of our legislature - equal pay for equal work!

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