ND from Katie Kelly

Nickel and Dimed

     In Barbara Ehrenreich's book Nickel and Dimed Barbara explains her experience
with the side of poverty. She has learned from her investigative approach that
a good paying job isn't everything to surviving. Many people have to sacrifice
their luxuries to be able to be self sufficient. Barbara points out many of the
problems that she and others encounter while having low to minimum wage jobs.
She stays in three locations to test out what these jobs have in store.
Although in her experiences she leaves many opinions that are good, bad, yet
helpful.
     Enrenreich soon starts out in Key West, Florida. She is given the job of being
a waitress at a local diner. Then is forced to get a second job being a
waitress, to earn some extra income. She soon finds out that being a waitress
is something that she is not able to handle in her condition. Which leaves her
tired from the strenuous work. Barbara tires of this routine and begins
cleaning at a hotel. She soon finds out that many of her co-workers are in the
same or a worse predicament than her.
     Barbara next leaves Florida to live in Maine. Her new job is at a nursing home
as a dietary aid. She quickly finds another job as a maid. Enrenreich's
situation from here on is her finding out that being a maid is not a great job.
She is looked down upon by the people she would normally consort with. Barbara
and her co-workers are very diligent, yet they are not appraised and have very
little pay. She watches the people she is with carefully and sees their
different struggles. 
     The third place Barbara moves to is Minneapolis, Minnesota. Where she applies
at Menards and Wal-mart. She is made to take a drug test for both applicants
and realizes that both places are treating her as a possible drug addict. She
chooses Wal-mart even though Menards had has the better pay in fear she will be
treated with less respect. She is wrong and soon is bored with Wal-mart having
her do the same job everyday. She speaks with her co-workers about unionizing
and leaves the store.
     In Enrenreich's evaluation she explains that the low wage will stay the same or
only get worse. She states that being a low wage worker is something to be a
considerable achievment. Living wages is getting expensive and she says the
only way she would have been able to afford it is if she possibly would settle
down on one job. Only if she would get a raise would she be able to stay in one
location.
     #13  IF i would be placed in a working enviornment such as one of the Wal-mart
industry i might have to change. The working conditions i deal with now as a
high school teenager is working with a photography studio. I feel comfortable
with my surroundings and the situations i am put in are very high class. Being
put in a low wage spot such as being a stocker or someone who goes around and
picks up after angry or sloppy customers might make me a little bitter. I would
hate it and there is no respect in a job such as that.