San Jose State University's successful campaign to raise the minimum wage in the city of San Jose

http://blogs.sjsu.edu/today/2012/ktvu-2-35000-sign-student-petition-to-raise-the-minimum-wage/

This article talks about the successful student campaign at San Jose State University to raise the minimum wage from $8 to $10 in the city of San Jose last year. What started as a class project became a mass movement and the students involved in this campaign managed to get 35000 signatures and put the issue on November ballot.
This is amazing. I think campaigns like these really expand our ways of thinking about WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE STUDENTS TO DO? and opens up new space for discussing how we can tangibly tackle poverty. What I mean by the former is that socioeconomic statuses have shaped what is possible and not possible in us (echoing Bourdieu's idea of Habitus...) At Cal, a majority of students have grown up in privileged areas (In my fraternity, it is really not difficult to find people who have grown up in Westlake, Calabasas, Santa Monica, New Port Beach, Danville, Palo Alto and Cupertino). Studying hard and getting into good schools, this linkage between one's individual effort in academic achievement and one's obtainment of social and economic benefits - good jobs, high pay, cozy apartment in San Francisco and a new car, is patent and embedded in us. We may think this is the best way to succeed. We may think that this is the best way even for the poor to succeed. "Work Hard and it will pay off". But the article has demonstrated that there are more issues at stake - minimum wage may not be enough. Despite this, students can change the circumstance for the poor by changing the law.
       Currently, Asian Law Caucus, my PE organization is deeply involved in the employment issues in San Francisco. The city's minimum wage is $10.55 and it will increase again next year and so. The city also has various employment regulations. To name a few, 1. workers must be paid extra after working more than 40 hours 2. workers must get at least 30-minute lunch breaks and breaks every four hours of working (I think... the essence here is the guarantee of resting time and lunch time).
On these grounds, the East Bay, especially Alameda (largely Berkeley and Oakland) lack these measures. The minimum wage is still $8. Governor Brown signed the bill that will raise the California state minimum wage to $10 by 2016. This is not enough. Julia and I are doing our group projects on raising the minimum wage in Alameda to at least $11/hr because a family of 4 needs at least $22/hr wage to live adequately in Alameda (if both partners in the family work then $11*2 = $22, hence enough wage)

       But, what I envision in a change is the model that San Francisco city has in that the worker's rights program is not limited to one-time raise in the minimum wage. There are measures for the worker's resting time and measures for the continual raise of the minimum wage and many other measures. These measures show that the minimum wage is not the only issue for protecting workers' rights. They are more expansive. Putting together the case of San Jose State University's success in raising the minimum wage in San Jose and the significance of expansive protection for workers' rights, I  believe Cal students should also carry out these reforms here in Alameda county. A lot of students volunteer to teach, to feed the homeless, to protect one's rights by working in legal services organization or to work in a hospital. This is absolutely better than doing nothing. However, this is not the only way of alleviating the poor. Some students here tend to think that (according to my observation based on being at Cal for four years) the poor are usually lazy or lack skills for jobs and therefore need education. Some students blame the Republicans. A lot of students are annoyed or horrified by such large number of homeless people on the street. My worry here is that students here cannot think outside the box of piecemeal reform.
     However, GPP 115 class has taught me policy, not charity. Poverty will never wither away unless the society (here the city of Berkeley and even Oakland) takes steps to change the structure. I'm glad that I am working in the legal services organization because I get to protect the rights that any individuals deserve and are entitled to. Still, this is not the best or ultimate solution. Maybe the law is not fair. Maybe we should change the law. This article and GPP 115 class have taught me that we, Cal students, are capable of changing the structure. My question is who will..? Will you?