--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's…" description: "\"We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage.\" — Iris DeMent" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg" --- # We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll… ![“We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage.” quote by Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg) > “We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage.” [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The disparity between executive salaries and workers’ wages fuels resistance to raising minimum wage, despite economic inequality. **In simple terms:** Executives earn far more than workers, yet oppose wage hikes. Key Takeaway Recognize and address power imbalances in pay. Themes economic inequality labor rights politics Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy debates - union negotiations - public protests - corporate governance Key Concepts wealth distribution power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can policy balance executive compensation with fair wages? - What mechanisms can reduce wage gaps? A Different Perspective High wages for CEOs can be justified by market forces, complicating reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Minimum wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minimum-wage/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wage/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [“In fact, the ratio of CEO pay to average worker pay has increased from 70 in 1990 to 300 in 2005, and much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/in-fact-the-ratio-of-ceo-pay-to-average-worker-pay-has-increased-from/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [I think from a moral issue, CEOs should not be making - whether it's 270 or 300 times more than their workers are making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-from-a-moral-issue-ceos-should-not-be-making-whether-it-s-270/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [In life, everybody faces choices between doing what's popular, easy, and wrong vs. doing what's lonely, difficult, and right. These decisions intensify when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/in-life-everybody-faces-choices-between-doing-what-s-popular-easy-and/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [The leverage Wall Street has to change the world is greater than technology. At a very young age, you're in the room with CEOs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-moelis/the-leverage-wall-street-has-to-change-the-world-is-greater-than/) [Ken Moelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-moelis/) > [Yet it ought to be clear that a minimum wage law is, at best, a limited weapon for combatting the evil of low wages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/yet-it-ought-to-be-clear-that-a-minimum-wage-law-is-at-best-a-limited/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [I used to work at McDonald's making minimum wage. You know what that means when someone pays you minimum wage? You know what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-used-to-work-at-mcdonald-s-making-minimum-wage-you-know-what-that/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [The value of the minimum wage shouldn't be eroded, and it has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-garagiola/the-value-of-the-minimum-wage-shouldn-t-be-eroded-and-it-has-been/) Robert J. Garagiola > [Those of us in the Congress must confront and overcome Republican intransigence to increasing the minimum wage, extending unemployment insurance and protecting food stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/those-of-us-in-the-congress-must-confront-and-overcome-republican/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [“Adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage today is lower than it was in 1965—about 24 percent lower. That job at Sears allowed my mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/adjusted-for-inflation-the-minimum-wage-today-is-lower-than-it-was-in/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Barack Obama and Kay Hagan think that the minimum wage needs to be the same in the mountains of North Carolina and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/barack-obama-and-kay-hagan-think-that-the-minimum-wage-needs-to-be/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [“The eugenics roots of minimum wage laws. Excerpt from \*Principles of Economics\*(1911) by Frank Taussig: "We have not reached the stage where we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-taussig/the-eugenics-roots-of-minimum-wage-laws-excerpt-from-principles-of/) Frank Taussig > [“My mother wasn’t much into politics, but I’m sure she would have assumed that fifty years later, the minimum wage would be a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/my-mother-wasn-t-much-into-politics-but-i-m-sure-she-would-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“Lamar Alexander, the senator from Tennessee and the most senior Republican on the committee, was asking his last questions when a witness interrupted him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/lamar-alexander-the-senator-from-tennessee-and-the-most-senior/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Obama's gonna play Santa Claus with the minimum wage. He's got no successes to brag about. He cannot talk about a robust job market.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-s-gonna-play-santa-claus-with-the-minimum-wage-he-s-got-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [A minimum wage leads to higher levels of unemployment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/a-minimum-wage-leads-to-higher-levels-of-unemployment/) [Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/) ## More by Iris DeMent > [Some guy refuses to fight and we call that the sin, but he's standing up for what he believes in and that seems pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/some-guy-refuses-to-fight-and-we-call-that-the-sin-but-he-s-standing/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [Writing, overall, has never been what I'd call fun. It's fulfilling. It doesn't come real easy for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/writing-overall-has-never-been-what-i-d-call-fun-it-s-fulfilling-it/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [Making the record was tons of fun, the most fun I've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/making-the-record-was-tons-of-fun-the-most-fun-i-ve-ever-had/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [I've always been aware of having feelings that were pretty intense at times. I imagine most people have had that, or they wouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-ve-always-been-aware-of-having-feelings-that-were-pretty-intense-at/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [This is how it has been since time began: If you want to make something really worthwhile and true, then you have to suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/this-is-how-it-has-been-since-time-began-if-you-want-to-make/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [If something bothers me, it bothers me for a long time until I find a way to work it out. Music provided me with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/if-something-bothers-me-it-bothers-me-for-a-long-time-until-i-find-a/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [Turn off the TV and start digging around for information that's not from a corporation trying to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/turn-off-the-tv-and-start-digging-around-for-information-that-s-not/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [My guitar is really tempermental. I don't give up on it though, I'm close to my guitar!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/my-guitar-is-really-tempermental-i-don-t-give-up-on-it-though-i-m/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [Maybe I spent more time dwelling on emotions than some people, and maybe that's why I ended up writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/maybe-i-spent-more-time-dwelling-on-emotions-than-some-people-and/) [Iris Dement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [I've always written about things that cause me to feel something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-ve-always-written-about-things-that-cause-me-to-feel-something/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [I honestly don't listen to a lot of music - I spend so much time working at my own music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-honestly-don-t-listen-to-a-lot-of-music-i-spend-so-much-time/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [I don't know what other people are like, I haven't been able to crawl inside anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-don-t-know-what-other-people-are-like-i-haven-t-been-able-to-crawl/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [I was mainly influenced by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and others like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-was-mainly-influenced-by-the-carter-family-jimmie-rodgers-loretta/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [For a long time I was interested in being a social worker. In a lot of ways I feel that that's all my music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/for-a-long-time-i-was-interested-in-being-a-social-worker-in-a-lot-of/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [I never set out to write songs about the world around me... it just kind of came about as a result of paying more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-never-set-out-to-write-songs-about-the-world-around-me-it-just-kind/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) [Explore all 19 Iris DeMent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) ## More Ceo quotes > [When you're young and you have money, you become the CEO, automatically, of life, of your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-haim/when-you-re-young-and-you-have-money-you-become-the-ceo-automatically/) [Corey Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-haim/) > [I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-tsai/i-took-on-the-role-of-ceo-which-involves-directing-the-management/) [Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/) > [I learned a lesson that I don't ever want to be a CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilcox/i-learned-a-lesson-that-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-a-ceo/) [Larry Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilcox/) > [Strategy is not a solo sport, even if you're the CEO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/strategy-is-not-a-solo-sport-even-if-you-re-the-ceo/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [I draw the line at some things. Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [I want to share that I had and still do, and a great relationship with Angela Ahrendts. She was the CEO of Burberry. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-glaser/i-want-to-share-that-i-had-and-still-do-and-a-great-relationship-with/) [Judith E. Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-glaser/) > [If the CEO is not going to give you a fair chance, you're probably not going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/if-the-ceo-is-not-going-to-give-you-a-fair-chance-you-re-probably-not/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Governor Romney may be running for CEO, I'm running for President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/governor-romney-may-be-running-for-ceo-i-m-running-for-president/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Culture is what happens when the CEO isn't in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/culture-is-what-happens-when-the-ceo-isn-t-in-the-room/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [The deck is still stacked in favor of those already at the top. And there's something wrong with that. There's something wrong when CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-deck-is-still-stacked-in-favor-of-those-already-at-the-top-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [While they're in WWE, we absolutely have a health and wellness policy. I'll probably always say 'we,' even though I've resigned as the CEO.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/while-they-re-in-wwe-we-absolutely-have-a-health-and-wellness-policy/) [Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/) > [It doesn't make much sense and it's nil premium. They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 668 Ceo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Iris DeMent" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker-s-pay-but-they-ll-fight-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ceo" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker-s-pay-but-they-ll-fight-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a6/iris-dement-28308_ceo_we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker_2633910.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We got CEOs making 200 times the worker's pay, but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage.” — Iris DeMent", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Iris DeMent", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We got CEOs making 200 times...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker-s-pay-but-they-ll-fight-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/we-got-ceos-making-200-times-the-worker-s-pay-but-they-ll-fight-like/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```