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Commentary: A whole new perspective

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Simon Ducatel is the editor of the Sundre Round Up.

First responders and medical professionals are not the only ones at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing a daily potential of being exposed to the contagion.

People stocking shelves in grocery stores, cashiers who interact with customers — some of whom might not even be adhering to self-imposed isolation guidelines after returning from a trip overseas — as well as gas station attendants are by and large still coming into work. Thanks to their efforts, and many others like truck drivers who keep the flow of goods going, the rest of us can still buy necessities.

It’s interesting how so many service sector workers that are often condescendingly looked down on as low-skilled and undeserving of a decent wage have suddenly become such a crucial part of the equation to keep society functioning.

Hearing someone express a self-righteous opinion along the lines of, “If they want a better salary, they should have got a better job,” is one fascinating way to acknowledge these positions are important to society, but apparently not quite important enough to provide a minimum baseline of living standards.

Meanwhile, many others are fortunate enough to just be able to work from home, an option simply not available to people who might be forced to choose between rent and food if they miss so much as a couple of shifts.  

And for some unfathomable reason, many people seem completely unconcerned by the ridiculous salary increases top-paid CEOs of major corporations have seen in recent decades. Yet at the same time, they suddenly get all indignantly incensed at the suggestion to raise the minimum wage so people who work 40 hours a week don’t barely scrape by. We've apparently decided that the accumulation of unprecedented levels of wealth should have absolutely no bounds, but that improving conditions for the working poor is an appalling proposition.  

But perhaps the pandemic will prompt us to reflect upon and re-evaluate our priorities.

Perhaps the time has come to no longer pay heed to those raking in hundreds of dollars an hour who lobby so hard to convince people earning $25 an hour that society’s problems stem from those who just want an hourly $15 minimum wage.

It’s almost as though the real issue has always been unfettered greed at the top that has created a system that prioritizes profits over people’s interests every step of the way.  

Once the pandemic passes, we should all do well to remember that while multi-millionaires and billionaires remained comfortably insulated from our struggles — some reportedly hid in bunkers converted into luxurious accommodations — humble clerks were willing to continue providing crucial services.   

So the next time someone looks down their nose at service sector workers, just remember it’s thanks to them we can still buy food and put fuel in our vehicles.

Simon Ducatel is the editor of the Sundre Round Up.


Simon Ducatel

About the Author: Simon Ducatel

Simon Ducatel joined Mountain View Publishing in 2015 after working for the Vulcan Advocate since 2007, and graduated among the top of his class from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology's journalism program in 2006.
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