The $15.00 an hour question.

On Friday, fast food workers protested in favor of a minimum wage of $15.00/hour. Well, some were fast food workers but many were union organizers ginning up the crowd. Currently, the minimum wage is $7.25/hr. While true, that someone would be hard pressed to keep ones head financially above water with that wage, much less raise a family - very few people actually work for the $7.25 wage. Nationally only 4.7%. (U.S. Dept. of Labor) And the majority of those workers are under the age of 20. The problem with mandating a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour such as the fast food workers are demanding, is that at that rate, profit margins for fast food restaurants drop tremendously. Companies like McDonald for instance, would have two choices. Raise prices or fire workers. Since a large segment of fast food is sold to lower income people, the effect would hurt them the most. Firing workers hurts even more.
Fast food restaurants are a good place for many young people to get their first work experience. But if you plan on making it your career, maybe you shouldn't be blaming McDonalds for your problems. Most people want to move up the ladder of success. But removing access to the first rung on that ladder isn't going to help anyone.
But let's assume the $15.00/hr. rate goes into effect. How does that play to non-commercial food workers? I can hear the howls from a lot of other workers  not employed by fast food restaurants complaining to their bosses that they are worth more than just a few dollars an hour more than the guy who chose to make flipping burgers his career. And they'd be right!
If you are a good employee worth having, your boss will pay more than $7.25/hr. to keep you. That's why 95.3% of workers earn more than the minimum. Quality workers will always be able to bargain for higher compensation.
My first job paid me the then minimum wage of $2.25/hr. Yes, that was some time ago. Of course, gas was about 60 cents a gallon and a Whopper, fries and Coke could be had for under $2.00. Still, I wasn't getting rich on that $2.25 every hour on the hour. After two weeks, my boss came up to me and gave me a 50 cent an hour raise. I didn't even ask for it. I must have been worth keeping around, I suppose. Paying me more than the minimum was a way to keep me from seeking employment elsewhere. That's how the system is suppose to work.
Bottom line - you are worth what someone is willing to pay you. No more, no less. Competition for quality people with skills will drive up wages. However, if you are in a work pool that doesn't compete for quality skilled workers, you are likely to remain at the low end of the wage scale. It really is that simple.