You are blowing these employers' heads up. They churn and burn through us and treat us like shit because we accept less than the bare minimum and we are seen as desperate for less than a living wage. $17/hr isn't even enough, but it gets the ball rolling and it's the principle that counts. If it's possible for you depending on your state and country, hold out for a better offer. We are late on reform and the time to manipulate the system was years ago.