Meet the "Big Mac ATM" That Will Replace All Of Your $15 Per Hour Fast Food Workers

[FunkyMike]

Dear Bernie, as you continue in your never-ending "Fight for $15", we thought you might benefit from a simple example of how economics work in a real life, functioning, capitalistic society.  You see, Bernie, labor, much like your daily serving of crunchy granola, is just another "good" that businesses can choose to consume more or less of, depending on price.  And, just to be crystal clear, when the price of labor (i.e. wages) increases, businesses tend to consume less of it.  Finally, our dearest Bernie, when misinformed politicians radically disrupt labor markets by setting artificially high base prices, like your proposed $15 federal minimum wage, then businesses simply stop consuming labor completely and instead replace that labor with this "Big Mac ATM Machine."

 

 

So, you see Bernie, pretty soon all those McDonald's workers that you promised a "fair living wage" to make Big Macs, will have absolutely no wages at all courtesy of your "Fight for $15."

 

Of course, as the Daily Caller points out, the "Big Mac ATM" is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to low-skilled jobs that will be automated as a result of the $15 minimum wage that has already been passed in several states across the country.

 

Quote

Wendy’s, another popular fast-food establishment, announced plans in May to start installing self-serving kiosks at some of its over 6,000 locations later in the year. The chain is replacing cashiers and other low-skilled jobs with computers and automated machines because, as Wendy’s president Todd Penegor told Investor’s Business Daily, it has to compensate for wage hikes.

 

McDonald’s Europe president Steve Easterbrook announced in 2011 that the fast-food restaurant was planning on “hiring” 7,000 touch-screen cashiers to be installed across the continent, according to CNET and the Financial Times. Easterbrook said it would make transactions more efficient — namely lowering the average interaction three to four seconds each.

 

 

So, congrats on getting all those fast food workers fired, we're sure they really appreciate all your hard work. 

 

Spoiler

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-25/dear-bernie-meet-big-mac-atm-will-replace-all-your-15-hour-fast-food-workers

[FloatingFatMan]

I can't stand those self-serve kiosks/tills and flatly refuse to use them. When I'm buying something in a store or restaurant, I want to deal with a human!

 

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

i was going to mention Wendys as i read about this last year. i see that it's already mentioned.

 

i've used these machines at a local store before. it is quite a small rollout, but there's no need to interact with anyone. the person behind the counter simply makes the food you order as it pops up on their screen.

 

people simply do not understand what a higher minimum wage means. no one is telling them either. all they see is dollar signs and more money, but the ramifications are that people get laid off. this already happened at Walmart's HQ last year. they raised wages for everyone, but then the managers complained, then their managers complained... and then they had to lay off like 2000 people.

 

here's a simply example - say the burger flipper makes $15/hr and the Manager only makes $18/hr. wouldnt the manager now want more money too? how does a manager, w/ all their responsibilities, only make $3/hr more than the guy stuffing fries? Now the managers want more to compensate, but the location cant afford it b/c their profit margin is so slim. well, then everyone thinks that the cost will just be passed on to the consumers w/ higher menu prices. well, no, b/c that brings up two issues. 1. consumers will consume less if the prices rise too much 2. fast food prices are already set to the lowest common denominator, the people making minimum wage.

 

this goes beyond just fast food, of course. this also impacts those working at walmart. if walmart has to raise prices, then suddenly these people cant afford their products again. companies arent just going to swallow the cost. they arent just going to dip into their profits to compensate.

[PsYcHoKiLLa]

Obviously that's going to deliver fine and nutritious food... or maybe just cold plastic, fatfilled garbage, you might as well just rummage around in the trash for your meal.

 

'Murca's culinary delights continue to amaze and excite!

 

Just thought I would add to your moronic explanation of economics, you do realise if you pay workers less or get rid of them altogether then you lose taxes and you also lose money being spent by that person? Multiply that by thousands or millions of workers and your economy goes down the plughole but, as long as the corporations are making money, who cares....right?

Edited January 26, 2017 by PsYcHoKiLLa

[margrave]

26 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

I can't stand those self-serve kiosks/tills and flatly refuse to use them. When I'm buying something in a store or restaurant, I want to deal with a human!

 

^ I'm the same way!

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

16 minutes ago, PsYcHoKiLLa said:

Just thought I would add to your moronic explanation of economics, you do realise if you pay workers less or get rid of them altogether then you lose taxes and you also lose money being spent by that person? Multiply that by thousands or millions of workers and your economy goes down the plughole but, as long as the corporations are making money, who cares....right?

were you replying to my moronic explanation? i'd say that your explanation only strengthens mine... this is the exact outcome of raising the minimum wage to $15/hr

 

btw, i used one of these ordering kiosks in england when i visited family last august. what's to say they wont come to Scotland if they havent already?

[+primortal Subscriber²]

5 minutes ago, Jason S. said:

were you replying to my moronic explanation? i'd say that your explanation only strengthens mine... this is the exact outcome of raising the minimum wage to $15/hr

It depends, some are seeing successful business by increasing the minimum wage like, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/ikea-minimum-wage_n_7648804.html, http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/seattle-eaterys-early-move-15-minimum-wage-rousing-success-n401666 and http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2014/07/14/why-small-business-owners-back-a-minimum-wage-hike

 

Of course there will always be a flip-side to the increase but all-in-all it's a benefit all around.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

4 minutes ago, primortal said:

It depends, some are seeing successful business by increasing the minimum wage like, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/24/ikea-minimum-wage_n_7648804.html, http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/seattle-eaterys-early-move-15-minimum-wage-rousing-success-n401666 and http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2014/07/14/why-small-business-owners-back-a-minimum-wage-hike

 

Of course there will always be a flip-side to the increase but all-in-all it's a benefit all around.

a few things about that "seattle eaterys" link.

 

1. 21% menu price increase

2. the $15/hr wage is offset by customers not being required to tip

3. "There's little data yet on how the law's working."

 

so anyway, that's great if it's working for that single restaurant. time will tell how well it works across an entire country.

[Ilys]

50 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

I can't stand those self-serve kiosks/tills and flatly refuse to use them. When I'm buying something in a store or restaurant, I want to deal with a human!

 

I've used one in McDonalds before. It's actually quite good. You even have the option of entering a table number and have your food brought to you. Now, if they could just replace those with robots, that would be even better.

[epk]

Let's face it, all jobs will be replaced with machines sooner or later.

[jnelsoninjax]

Here in Florida the minimum wage went up 5 cents at the beginning of the year to $8.10/hour. I have not worked for minimum wage since I moved to Florida over 10 years ago, but my roommates wife works as a cashier at a local store and makes minimum wage, so her average check each week is ~$100-$150 because she does not work full-time. So she gets public assistance (SNAP (food stamps)) but since she is the only one who is working (not counting me) if it was not for the fact that her son is disabled and gets a check each month, there would be no way she could survive raising 2 kids and her lazy husband. So do I think an increase in the minimum wage would be helpful? It really depends, increase the wage, then the cost of living will sky rocket, and even at $#15 an hour you still couldn't afford to live. So these businesses that are trying to save money by getting rid of the human are horrible, it would be like going to a fancy 5 star restaurant and having a kiosk to order from, and finding out that the food is pre made, something that just gets tossed in a microwave for a min and then served to you.

[FloatingFatMan]

3 minutes ago, Ilys said:

I've used one in McDonalds before. It's actually quite good. You even have the option of entering a table number and have your food brought to you. Now, if they could just replace those with robots, that would be even better.

I'd rather be served by a human, even if they're dumb.  I was their age once, I know how hard it is to make ends meet. I'd like to think they'd at least have a chance to earn an honest days pay.

 

[Gertjan Van Damme]

i love how you "capitalists" don't understand that those machines will come with or without a 15$ minimum wage. automation has already wrecked the manufacturing industry beyond repair and even in china they are already starting to replace their workers with machines. because surprise surprise humans can not compete with capable enough machines.

 

in essence what is being advocated here is that people should work for 10 cents per hour or be replaced with machines, the race to the bottom, the exploitation of the workforce. remember that before you come spouting 1st grade economics lessons

[PGHammer]

7 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

I'd rather be served by a human, even if they're dumb.  I was their age once, I know how hard it is to make ends meet. I'd like to think they'd at least have a chance to earn an honest days pay.

 

Floating - that is an emotional reaction - how long can you hold out? (I'm not saying it's a "bad" reaction - I know a LOT of folks that think that way.  However, is it - or will it be - the majority of folks?  Also, I've worked in fast-food; it's not exactly a high-brainwork job.)

[PGHammer]

3 minutes ago, Gertjan Van Damme said:

i love how you "capitalists" don't understand that those machines will come with or without a 15$ minimum wage. automation has already wrecked the manufacturing industry beyond repair and even in china they are already starting to replace their workers with machines. because surprise surprise humans can not compete with capable enough machines.

 

in essence what is being advocated here is that people should work for 10 cents per hour or be replaced with machines, the race to the bottom, the exploitation of the workforce. remember that before you come spouting 1st grade economics lessons

Gertjan - that is, in fact, how raw economics works; the only way around it is to subsidize it - which means that the taxpayer (government subsidization) or the customer STILL pays higher prices regardless.

[wakjak]

3 minutes ago, PGHammer said:

it's not exactly a high-brainwork job

And that means people shouldn't be able to afford to live? 

 

Not everyone is going to be a 4.0 GPA University grad you know.

[FloatingFatMan]

5 minutes ago, PGHammer said:

Floating - that is an emotional reaction - how long can you hold out? (I'm not saying it's a "bad" reaction - I know a LOT of folks that think that way.  However, is it - or will it be - the majority of folks?  Also, I've worked in fast-food; it's not exactly a high-brainwork job.)

I actually have a healthy respect for fast food staff, and in fact, all retail workers. It's a horrible industry to work in, where you're continually treated like garbage by arrogant customers who are so up their own backsides I'm surprised they don't turn into tesseracts.

 

I worked in retail once, years ago. It takes a special kind of person to be able to take that kind of abuse, day in, day out, just to earn a small amount of money.

 

4 minutes ago, wakjak said:

And that means people shouldn't be able to afford to live? 

 

Not everyone is going to be a 4.0 GPA University grad you know.

Quite a few 4.0 GPA university grads end up working fast food at first, too.  Having good grades doesn't guarantee you the job you want.

 

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

7 minutes ago, wakjak said:

And that means people shouldn't be able to afford to live?

$15/hr means that the prices of goods and services will increase to match that level of livability. $15/hr will have the same purchasing power as whatever the minimum wage is today. then everyone will be clamoring for $20/hr.

[wakjak]

1 minute ago, Jason S. said:

$15/hr means that the prices of goods and services will increase to match that level of livability.

And where's the proof for this?

[Gertjan Van Damme]

12 minutes ago, PGHammer said:

Gertjan - that is, in fact, how raw economics works; the only way around it is to subsidize it - which means that the taxpayer (government subsidization) or the customer STILL pays higher prices regardless.

yes, and? do you expect workers to accept the ever decreasing wages or something?

[Neyht Member]

2 minutes ago, wakjak said:

And where's the proof for this?

The minimum wage used to be 5.75 an hour.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

4 minutes ago, wakjak said:

And where's the proof for this?

i dont have direct proof other than the fact that minimum wages have increased every few years to accommodate inflation

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

The issue is very complex, but the crux of the problem is the FED and the Keynesian economic theory. It was a good post-WWII model designed to outspend and defeat the USSR. These days, it's become archaic and the average Joe is paying a huge price for it.

 

[wakjak]

1 minute ago, Jason S. said:

minimum wages have increased every few years to accommodate inflation

So Minimum wage isn't the cause of higher prices. It just increases with the higher cost of living. So no proof then.

[FloatingFatMan]

2 minutes ago, wakjak said:

So Minimum wage isn't the cause of higher prices. It just increases with the higher cost of living. So no proof then.

OK, now ask yourself, why has the cost of living increased?