Fast-food workers threaten global strikes

[Lord Method Man]

 

 

If pay was left up to employers we would all be screwed and living in cardboard boxes.

 

Then why am I not making minimum wage.

[LaP]

If you think flipping burgers for 6-8 hours a day in a stifling hot kitchen, with maybe only a 2 minute pee break a couple of times a day is an easy job, I suggest you give it a try.

 

Those people never did it.

 

I was plongeur in a restaurant for a summer. The guy had trouble finding people to do it. I understood why after 3 months. Hardest job i ever did by far. Would not do that again even for 30$ / hour. People who do that for more than a summer don't have a choice probably. Some people were not "gifted" by god sadly.

[rr_dRock]

Those people never did it.

 

I was plongeur in a restaurant for a summer. The guy had trouble finding people to do it. I understood why after 3 months. Hardest job i ever did by far. Would not do that again even for 30$ / hour. People who do that for more than a summer don't have a choice probably. Some people were not "gifted" by god sadly.

 

I worked as a dishwasher for minimum wage for a while, I also worked as a server, occasional cook, and bus boy. By no means was it the most difficult job of my life. It may not be fun, but that by no means makes it difficult.

 

And everyone has a choice. It's just which choice you make. If we stopped giving everyone excuses, this would be a non issue.

[FloatingFatMan]

Those people never did it.

 

I was plongeur in a restaurant for a summer. The guy had trouble finding people to do it. I understood why after 3 months. Hardest job i ever did by far. Would not do that again even for 30$ / hour. People who do that for more than a summer don't have a choice probably. Some people were not "gifted" by god sadly.

 

Indeed.  I can actually smell the arrogance from some of the posters in here from thousands of miles away.  It's enough to make me choke and I've avoided commenting on their posts as I just -know- I'd get a warning for it.

 

Never look down on anothers situation, you can't possibly know what circumstances have brought them to their current place in life.

[rr_dRock]

Indeed.  I can actually smell the arrogance from some of the poster in here from thousands of miles away.  It's enough to make me choke and I've avoided commenting on their posts as I just -know- I'd get a warning for it.

 

Never look down on anothers situation, you can't possibly know what circumstances have brought them to their current place in life.

 

Yet you can know enough to give them excuses for their poor behaviour and know enough about the other side that anyone that has a different belief is just arrogant. Ha.

 

It's never the poor persons fault. It's always the CEOs/bug businesses/rich peoples fault for keeping them down. /s

[+seb5150 Subscriber²]

The bottom line is that if your job can be done more or less as well by the average high school Senior with only a few hours training then your value to an employer or business owner is very low and you can't reasonably expect to be highly paid for your labor. I would bet that the vast majority of hourly paid people working in the fast food industry are part-time employees. I know I was when I worked at McDonalds and BK. Part-time employment by definition is not meant to provide a family of 4 with economic security.

 

If you as the employee don't like getting paid what you're paid then change your direction by improving your skills and your worth to an employer. Every single person in this country (including those here illegally) have access to education, grants, loans, and training programs that can teach you a skill that will make you valuable to an employer. Use those things to your advantage and then you won't need to worry about minimum wage.

[xrobwx71]

If you think flipping burgers for 6-8 hours a day in a stifling hot kitchen, with maybe only a 2 minute pee break a couple of times a day is an easy job, I suggest you give it a try.

I agree as I did work in the food industry when I was in High School. Wendy's was one. I made minimum wage, $3.35/hr at the time, and busted my natural ass.Ran the griddle, fries,drive through. It was horrendous. Some nights I would not get to leave till 2AM cleaning up the damn place. It was one of the main motivators in my life experiences to better myself.

[FloatingFatMan]

Yet you can know enough to give them excuses for their poor behaviour and know enough about the other side that anyone that has a different belief is just arrogant. Ha.

 

It's never the poor persons fault. It's always the CEOs/bug businesses/rich peoples fault for keeping them down. /s

 

Nope.  I know enough to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

[Sandor]

 keeping them down

So you have read the data showing how wages for the vast majority have barely moved for decades but those who were already rich have even more of the pie.

 

Glad you're coming round.

[rr_dRock]

Nope.  I know enough to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.

 

You shouldn't give everyone the benefit of the doubt. And I doubt you give the same benefit to those who disagree with you, as those who agree.

 

People such as me are made of pure evil, and as such should be approached cautiously.

 

 

So you have read the data showing how wages for the vast majority have barely moved for decades but those who were already rich have even more of the pie.

 

Glad you're coming round.

 

Just because there are people who made good investments, and their families have prospered over time, that doesn't mean that you cannot have a piece of the pie, or that they are systematically trying to keep you down. It's idiocy to think that way.

 

 

Its a good thing today is Friday....

[Sandor]

The bottom line is that if your job can be done more or less as well by the average high school Senior with only a few hours training then your value to an employer or business owner is very low and you can't reasonably expect to be highly paid for your labor. I would bet that the vast majority of hourly paid people working in the fast food industry are part-time employees. I know I was when I worked at McDonalds and BK. Part-time employment by definition is not meant to provide a family of 4 with economic security.

 

If you as the employee don't like getting paid what you're paid then change your direction by improving your skills and your worth to an employer. Every single person in this country (including those here illegally) have access to education, grants, loans, and training programs that can teach you a skill that will make you valuable to an employer. Use those things to your advantage and then you won't need to worry about minimum wage.

 

I guess you've never heard of McDonaldisation and de-skilling. You can go read up on the concepts at your leisure.

 

Don't get your chickens and eggs mixed up.

Just because there are people who made good investments, and their families have prospered over time, that doesn't mean that you cannot have a piece of the pie, or that they are systematically trying to keep you down. It's idiocy to think that way.

 

Sure there isn't...except the increasing barriers in social mobility.

 

This thread has convinced me of one thing...very few people seem to read.

[rr_dRock]

I guess you've never heard of McDonaldisation and de-skilling. You can go read up on the concepts at your leisure.

 

Don't get your chickens and eggs mixed up.

 

Sure there isn't...except the increasing barriers in social mobility.

 

This thread has convinced me of one thing...very few people seem to read.

 

You are afforded an education from the state (just one of the best ways to achieve upward social mobility), why is someone elses wealth determining how successful you as an individual are in educating yourself, and being better than others in your field? Why does Aspers wealth have anything to do with someone being a lazy, incompetent, skill-less ######? Are you saying we're more a class based system than in the past? I'd like to point you to the days where monarchy and aristocracy ran rampant.

 

You don't have to be a billionaire to be successful... you just have to be happy with life, and able to support yourself, and not through artificial means like forced wage hikes and handouts.

 

 

I get in certain instances there is still racism, and stereotyping, and useless twats thinking they're better than women, people who can't afford an education (that's what student loans and government subsidies are for) etc. But it's not as much of an issue, and isn't as hard to get by as people make it out be.

[FloatingFatMan]

You are afforded an education from the state (just one of the best ways to achieve upward social mobility), why is someone elses wealth determining how successful you as an individual are in educating yourself, and being better than other in your field?

 

State education, especially American state education, only gets you so far. After that, it's college/university and that ain't free.

 

You could be smarter than Einstein, but if your family is poor, you won't be getting the education you need to use those smarts unless you get REALLY lucky with a scholarship - and if you're not in the US, scholarships aren't even an option.

[Dinggus]

Should have got a better education.

 

Fire all the adults who are striking and higher high-school kids who are willing to earn a few bucks. I worked at McDs and didn't complain. But then again, we're in the "give me everything because I demand it" generation.

[rr_dRock]

State education, especially American state education, only gets you so far. After that, it's college/university and that ain't free.

 

You could be smarter than Einstein, but if your family is poor, you won't be getting the education you need to use those smarts unless you get REALLY lucky with a scholarship - and if you're not in the US, scholarships aren't even an option.

Uh... we have scholarships in Canada.... and I'm pretty sure they have them abroad too... as well as student loans, so your point isn't quite valid.

 

And the American education system is a joke, I will absolutely agree with you on that. But in 1st world countries, (and even in places like China, NK, etc) if you have intelligence, or ability beyond that of others, you are recognized for it with grants, scholarships, advanced placement etc.

 

In Canada (where I am), we offer scholarships for just about anything, to anyone. In fact there's a number of ones specifically for people who overcome adversity.... And in the cases of Aboriginals (who unfortunately have a higher poverty rate in Canada) we give them completely free Post secondary education. Yet very few take advantage for some of the same reasons previously stated (but that's a discussion that needs another thread)

[Nashy]

About 60% of the population of this county lives below the poverty line, which means the money they made in that single 8 hour shift is probably more than 60% of the county will make in a year.

 

I'm not ignorant of the fact that there are overhead/operating costs, but not $10,000+ a day per store.  Electricity, water, food consumed, employee wages, etc. I'm aware of those things.  The problem is corporate America.  The gap between CEO take-home and that of their average employees is the widest it has ever been in the history of this country.  My brother used to work at Wal-Mart in the electronics dept. and he said that a television priced at $600 would only cost Wal-Mart a little over $100.  A McD's worker earning minimum wage here in Kentucky couldn't even buy a full value meal with a drink from the store they work at with an hour's pay.

 

I believe raising the minimum wage is a stop-gap measure that will only increase the cost of living until they don't live any better at $10, $15, or $20 than they were at $7.25, but at least it's "something" we can do to help out the people who do 99% of the physical labor until we can tackle the corruption in corporate America.

Walmart doesn't set what the recommended retail price of objects should be, that's up to the manufacture to do.  They get a good deal to make sure they get more money.

You can't blame it on corporate America.  It is what it is.  They are operating a business, they are entitled to make money, and pay whoever they want, whatever they want.

 

It's up to the Government, not the business managers thinking they need to help out.  They're working for their shareholders, they demand results, and that's why they are paid so much.

[FloatingFatMan]

Uh... we have scholarships in Canada.... and I'm pretty sure they have them abroad too... as well as student loans, so your point isn't quite valid.

 

And the American education system is a joke, I will absolutely agree with you on that. But in 1st world countries, (and even in places like China, NK, etc) if you have intelligence, or ability beyond that of others, you are recognized for it with grants, scholarships, advanced placement etc.

 

In Canada (where I am), we offer scholarships for just about anything, to anyone. In fact there's a number of ones specifically for people who overcome adversity.... And in the cases of Aboriginals (who unfortunately have a higher poverty rate in Canada) we give them completely free Post secondary education. Yet very few take advantage for some of the same reasons previously stated (but that's a discussion that needs another thread)

 

Oh yes, getting into debt up to your eyeballs is a GREAT way to start you adult life, isn't it?

 

No such thing as scholarships in the UK, or many other countries.

[astropheed Veteran]

As I read this thread I conclude two things:

1) People who expect hand-outs actually truly believe they deserve them to the point they'll believe their own absolutely backwards logic.

2) rr_dRock is me. I don't need to post anything. His life is exactly like mine, it's crazy. Dishwasher, Server, Call Center, Drugs, Alcohol, Worked my butt off, escaped that life..... Just crazy.

 

Sadly I had to move away from my family to do it, but I'm a better man for it. Oh, and I didn't get any hand-outs, not a single one, I did it with hard work and determination. I had to work street jobs (not those kind) in bad neighborhoods with people threatening to kill me on occasions, it wasn't a proud moment but I got exactly what I deserved, a better life.

 

I will just say one thing:

>Raise Wages

>Raise Costs

>Cancels out

 

So the poor get nothing and the middle class get less and the rich, as always, get richer. Congratulations.

Seriously, I just wish some logic would be applied here. Want more money, get a better Job. Period. PERIOD.

 

Your (them) lazy, unambitious, entitled, arrogant, ignorant, naive logic is ruining it for everyone.

[techbeck]

It has started...

 

http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/15/news/economy/fast-food-strike/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

Reading the article, a 19 year old wants 15 per hour to move out of his parents house.  How many bills could a 19 year old have that he cannot move out on minimum wage?  This country is going from a place where people work hard, bust their ass, to a country of winners and pansy assed morons that think they are entitled to things they did not work for or deserve.  I agree that wages should be increased when cost of living does, but almost doubled, or doubled in some cases, come on now.  And when wages are increased, so are prices of good/services so these same morons will be back where they started demanding $20 per hour.  That $1 burger at McDonalds people love so much, congrats...it is now $3.

 

If anyone has seen this movie, this is where the US is heading....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

[DocM]

Another bunch of unskilled people campaigning to be replaced by robots.

See UAW.

Fact: this is all being organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Their United Healthcare Workers and other divisions have been losing members fast, partly due to Obamacare :rofl: , so now they're scrambling for new members.

What's hilarious is that SEIU acted as Democrat stormtroopers during the Obamacare fight, crowding into Dem Congressmen's town hall meetingss to shout down outraged constituents. At a town hall in our small city they brought in 3 busloads of outsider SEIU agitators.

[Hum]

Here is the typical dumb comment by workers:
 

 

Among the Miami demonstrators was Selmira Wilson, who said through a translator that it was nearly impossible to care for her three children with the low wages she earned from McDonald's.

 

"I have to work two jobs," Wilson said. "I clean offices at night just to get by."

 

 Her fast-food job is support her personally -- not an entire family.

 

And what was she thinking when she decided to have three kids .... someone else is going to pay for them ?

[SierraSonic]

As I read this thread I conclude two things:

1) People who expect hand-outs actually truly believe they deserve them to the point they'll believe their own absolutely backwards logic.

2) rr_dRock is me. I don't need to post anything. His life is exactly like mine, it's crazy. Dishwasher, Server, Call Center, Drugs, Alcohol, Worked my butt off, escaped that life..... Just crazy.

 

Sadly I had to move away from my family to do it, but I'm a better man for it. Oh, and I didn't get any hand-outs, not a single one, I did it with hard work and determination. I had to work street jobs (not those kind) in bad neighborhoods with people threatening to kill me on occasions, it wasn't a proud moment but I got exactly what I deserved, a better life.

 

I will just say one thing:

>Raise Wages

>Raise Costs

>Cancels out

 

So the poor get nothing and the middle class get less and the rich, as always, get richer. Congratulations.

Seriously, I just wish some logic would be applied here. Want more money, get a better Job. Period. PERIOD.

 

Your (them) lazy, unambitious, entitled, arrogant, ignorant, naive logic is ruining it for everyone.

There is no way the cost of everything will raise proportionally to the increase in pay. Here is a study that says the price of big mac would go from 2.99 to 3.67, so about 22%.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/07/price-of-big-mac-could-rise-by-68-cents-if-minimum-wage-doubles/

 

Thats less than a third of the difference in price, if everything increased in that ratio, you'd still have a great bit more money on income vs expense. Even if the study is off, and the price difference is double from what they predict, only 44% higher prices, but 100% more income. Still, I believe a slower rate of increase should happen, more inline with $9, $10.10, etc with a slow roll out over the next few years so it won't feel like a drastic change, but I firmly believe it should hit optimal value again.

 

The biggest problem is that inflation has devalued the minimum wage to values that aren't inline with the original intent, to offer a living wage. Benefits and higher pay should be reserved for work that require more than minimum work.

 

If you are so intent on keeping a value difference depending on age, or the amount of years working, or whatever to do with experience or education, leave that for a job that offers more money, for more trained/educated work, so those people can live in excess of just above the poverty line!

 

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

 

Don't try to pretend like they are trying to ask to be rich, it is well known that working at minimum wage for an individual is just above the poverty line, while supporting multiple dependants is a given for plenty individuals, since over 40% of the population are under 18 or over 65!

 

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117062/raising-minimum-wage-wont-lift-everyone-above-poverty-line

 

The point of this article seems to be that $10.10 doesn't seem to be enough for a certain demographic so it should be more. Especially since the average people per household in america is 2.61.

 

I've lived the same lives you guys have, I currently am repaying a $120,000 student loan, and live above the minimum wage, but below what it used to be. Quit trying to act like making anything under $16 is amazing, it's pitiful, and I feel disappointed that people can support it. I want a lifestyle that used to be the way americans lived for equal work.

 

 

Here is the typical dumb comment by workers:

 

 

 Her fast-food job is support her personally -- not an entire family.

 

And what was she thinking when she decided to have three kids .... someone else is going to pay for them ?

 

Yes, I am certain she had those children all by herself, and maybe wasn't in a better situation when she did. Shameful really. /s

 

Quit thinking that 15% of the population is just lazy people mooching off the system, and imagine for a second that most of those people are just down on their luck right now. You act as if these people aren't even trying to work! They are trying to contribute, just not getting enough for whatever reason they were put into that situation. There is no way 15% of the people are as malicious, or lazy as people try to picture them.

[Mr. Gibs]

Don't try to pretend like they are trying to ask to be rich, it is well known that working at minimum wage for an individual is just above the poverty line, while supporting multiple dependants is a given for plenty individuals, since over 40% of the population are under 18 or over 65!

Here's an idea....don't ####ing have kids that you clearly cannot support.

My wife and I both have pretty stable and pretty good incomes and we are still waiting to have kids. Want to guess why? We want to save up for important things and make sure that when we do have kids, we aren't going to be worrying about "#### can we support them."

That's what responsible adults do. If I worked at McDonalds the last thing I would do is have kids, let alone 3 kids. I wish there were more in-depth checks before people can have kids. My boss who is extremely nice and would make a great parent, has to go through hell before him and his wife can be foster parents mostly to make sure the kids don't suffer. But if you work at McDonalds and pop out 3 kids that you clearly can't support? Nobody cares.

Quit thinking that 15% of the population is just lazy people mooching off the system, and imagine for a second that most of those people are just down on their luck right now. You act as if these people aren't even trying to work! They are trying to contribute, just not getting enough for whatever reason they were put into that situation. There is no way 15% of the people are as malicious, or lazy as people try to picture them.

Because part of that is true? Sure there are a ton of people who are just down on their luck, lost their job w/e. But likewise there are a TON of people who have kids they clearly can't afford or even support.

[SierraSonic]

Here's an idea....don't ####ing have kids that you clearly cannot support.

My wife and I both have pretty stable and pretty good incomes and we are still waiting to have kids. Want to guess why? We want to save up for important things and make sure that when we do have kids, we aren't going to be worrying about "#### can we support them."

That's what responsible adults do. If I worked at McDonalds the last thing I would do is have kids, let alone 3 kids. I wish there were more in-depth checks before people can have kids. My boss who is extremely nice and would make a great parent, has to go through hell before him and his wife can be foster parents mostly to make sure the kids don't suffer. But if you work at McDonalds and pop out 3 kids that you clearly can't support? Nobody cares.

I certainly hope you never lose your jobs, get divorced, one of you dies, or one of your kids has a teenage child, or any number of the random facts that aren't malicious. People are just sucking on your teat expecting more from you correct?

[Mr. Gibs]

I certainly hope you never lose your jobs, get divorced, one of you dies, or one of your kids has a teenage child, or any number of the random facts that aren't malicious. People are just sucking on your teat expecting more from you correct?

Did you miss the part where I said savings?

How about you stop pretending that everyone who has 3 kids and works at McDonalds clearly had a much better life before hand and are just down on their luck. Here's a hint, most of them didn't have jobs that would pay them anywhere near enough to support 3 kids.