The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Essential Workers—But Not Paid Like It!

Mar 30, 2020

When Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker announced his “stay-at-home” order, he said that “essential services will not close.” He specifically mentioned grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations.

The workers who make these services run make sure we can get the food, medicine, and fuel we need, at great risk to themselves and their families. Yet these essential workers are some of the lowest paid.

In this crisis, these workers have shown their importance—and their potential power. Society would grind to a halt without their work. There’s no reason for these “essential” workers to accept poverty wages.