Fast Food Workers Striking?!?!?

Rage_Phish

Where were any of you when the CEO of McDonalds gave himself a $14 million dollar raise? Why is that ok? Why is increased wages only bad for the poor?

THIS... a bajillion times, this! nobody bats an eye if somebody who is already wealthy decides that they need to be wealthier. Because "this is what capitalism is all about!" But the second somebody wants to afford a 1988 falling apart vehicle to get themselves to work, they feel a sense of "entitlement."

"But I'd trade it all for a little more." - C. Montgomery Burns

NRSPAM

I know opinions on this will vary, but seriously....fast food jobs are supposed to be for teenagers and young adults trying to earn a few bucks while they work their way through school. Not a life long career choice. Don't get me wrong now, I give props to anyone who works fast food because they're trying to make ends meet. If I lost my job, or needed extra cash to support my family, I'd do it in a heartbeat if I needed to. But people need to realize that if they want to make good money at their job, then they have to go to school, get an education that's worth a dang, and go earn that good paying job. I do agree that they should make a "fair" wage, but what is a fair wage these days? My base pay working as an RN on an intensive care unit is only $19.25, so for someone to make $10-15/hour at a fast food restaurant would kind of tick me off. Lol. Wait....scratch that! Hand me an application!!!

marciebrian

I HATE when people think that retail/food industry workers are lazy and god forbid we want to make a wage we're able to live off of. I love how we're all lazy, good for nothings, who didn't go to college like "successful" people. Um, no. I went to college. I have a Bachelors Degree. I earned Summa Cum Laude was in the top of my class and did more extracurriculars with leadership positions than I can count. Plus work. And there are many more people like me and who did more than I did in college stuck working these positions. I've tried for 3 years to get a "real" job, Monday through Friday with 9-5 hours. I've redone my resume so many times and actually paid someone to redo it as well. Still no dice. With that said, I enjoy my work. Yes I "fold sweaters and teach other to fold sweaters for a living." But there is SO MUCH MORE to retail (and to food service...I started there) than the customers know. So do me a favor and be nice to a retail/food service worker today. They're out there on their feet for 8+ hours a day on crummy wages, being yelled at for things that aren't their fault, trying to make a life for themselves and their families.

Some people put in the hard work and DO NOT get lucky like the rest of you people who "contribute to society." Then where would you idiots shop? There would be no one to work in the malls or restaurants or fast food (because yes some of you health nuts still give into the occasional craving). Someone has to work blue collar jobs and I think they deserve a livable wage.

I have been so torn on this issue for a long time for lots of reasons but you may have changed my heart ;-) I'm in the staffing industry and we have a ton of low paying labor positions but the professional services positions (which is what I do) have fallen down to only "critical hire" positions. Companies can't build a building without engineers but they can do without the administrative staff. If our economy was robust and people who were able to do more could get the jobs than I agree we should leave minimum wage along. As long as people with good work ethics who want to do more, can't because of the economy, than I'm on board. Thank you for sharing, it helped clarify my position :flowerforyou:

F00LofaT00K

Where were any of you when the CEO of McDonalds gave himself a $14 million dollar raise? Why is that ok? Why is increased wages only bad for the poor?

THIS... a bajillion times, this! nobody bats an eye if somebody who is already wealthy decides that they need to be wealthier. Because "this is what capitalism is all about!" But the second somebody wants to afford a 1988 falling apart vehicle to get themselves to work, they feel a sense of "entitlement."

"But I'd trade it all for a little more." - C. Montgomery Burns

You're funny and I like you.

digitalbill

I don't understand why this is over complicated.
Working in the fast food industry sucks. I think we can all agree to that.
I did it myself when I was in high school and it sucked.
So, instead of complaining about it, I bettered myself.
I couldn't afford college and my parents were not going to pay for it.
What is a boy to do?
I joined the Army.
The pay STILL sucked but, at least I got an education.
And, more importantly, I got the G.I. Bill.
I went to college while in the Army and, once I got out, I finished college.
Now, I make quite a bit more then I did flipping burgers but, if for some reason I feel I deserve more, I have two choices:
1: Ask for a raise
2: find another job.

Look, making minimum wage is impossible to live on alone. That is why there are roommates out there.
That is why some people work two jobs (I have done that too).
I don't feel sorry for minimum wage workers because they are working in a start up job.
Seriously, if they are unhappy with the pay, climb, scratch, fight, or run to get out of the job and into a better one.

And that's what they're doing.

Why do you feel that you're entitled to rights that they aren't?

They DO have the right to ask for a raise.
But, they are not doing that, they are trying to FORCE the minimum wage to be raised to a higher level.
Asking for a raise goes like this:
"Hey boss, can I have a raise? This is why i deserve it."
Instead, from what I have seen, the folks demanding minimum wage to be increased are simply saying that they cannot afford to live on what they make right now.
This is probably true.
If the employee deserves a raise and asks for it, they might get it.
If the employee is on the fry line and never attempts to better himself, then no, they don't deserve a raise.

Fullsterkur_woman

After reading through quite a few of these posts I couldn't do it anymore. All the judgmental posts and the downright mean tone! The 'blame the government'...no! 'blame the corporations'.....

I just want to go on record that I hate both the government AND the corporations. I'm not on anybody's knob here.

rassha01

sweetchildomine

This is absolutely absurd. Fast food workers are paid too much now as it is. It is an entry level job. If you want more pay than find a better paying job!! How about go to college? Entitlement generation.

Oh yea, they can just go to college because it's free, right? Or they can find a better job in an area where the economy is crap and good jobs are scarce, right? Because minimum wage can pay for a hole-in-the-wall apartment that costs 1k a month, is that so? These people don't need to eat, right? Nor do their children or spouses....

Some of you people are ignorant as *kitten*.

Sorry to break this to you, but fast food jobs were never meant to be a life sustaining job. It's a starter job, one that you're SUPPOSED to work up from. I understand that sometimes you have to take what you can get, however, do you understand how the economy works? If they raise the wage for fast food workers, everyone else's wage would have to go up as well. You really think a medical assistant is going to get paid the same as a fast food worker? As a result, the price of living will go up significantly and fast food workers STILL won't be able to afford to support themselves. That job is the bottom of the totem pole and always will be. It would be nice if we could all get paid 25 dollars an hour but that's not how life works lol.

PaulHalicki

What about the government actually follow the constitution and not steal from me to feed someone else.

"If they'd rather die then perhaps they had better do so and decrease the surplus population."

just_Jennie1

Where were any of you when the CEO of McDonalds gave himself a $14 million dollar raise? Why is that ok? Why is increased wages only bad for the poor?

THIS... a bajillion times, this! nobody bats an eye if somebody who is already wealthy decides that they need to be wealthier. Because "this is what capitalism is all about!" But the second somebody wants to afford a 1988 falling apart vehicle to get themselves to work, they feel a sense of "entitlement."

:laugh:

No.

Sorry.

Apparently you don't know the meaning of the word because someone who feels they are entitled wouldn't be caught dead in a 1988 falling apart vehicle .They would demand the latest and greatest fully loaded Lexus SUV.

I own my own business.

I make a great living.

I drive a 2000 jeep cherokee with 230,000 miles on it. It has died on me countless times but I just keep throwing in a new battery and taking it to the shop. I am hoping to get 250,000 miles out of it.

I have never owned a new vehicle. Everything I have is what I can afford and pay in cash.

And why shouldn't those who are wealthy feel they should be wealthier? Who are YOU to say how much I can or can not make or how much I should make? My husband and I bust our *kitten* on our businesses to have the kind of lifestyle we want. WTF are YOU to say we shouldn't? We work hard. We make good money. I will be the one to decide what's enough. Not you, not the government, not any one else. Because it IS what capitalism is all about. I"m fine with someone who wants to make some money, have a good life etc. I'm NOT ok with those people who sit back with their hands out and expect me and everyone else to take care of them because they're "ENTITLED".

Rage_Phish

The people who are saying fast food jobs are made for high schoolers and teenagers clearly have never owned a fast food restaurant lol.

my parents own 3 Cheese Steak shops, which i spent 3 years working in and eventually managing and i can tell you hands down the laziest, least productive, most likely to call in sick fri/sat (or just be a no call, no show), and over all untrustworthy employees are teenagers/ high school kids.

SteveJWatson

This is absolutely absurd. Fast food workers are paid too much now as it is. It is an entry level job. If you want more pay than find a better paying job!! How about go to college? Entitlement generation.

Oh yea, they can just go to college because it's free, right? Or they can find a better job in an area where the economy is crap and good jobs are scarce, right? Because minimum wage can pay for a hole-in-the-wall apartment that costs 1k a month, is that so? These people don't need to eat, right? Nor do their children or spouses....

Some of you people are ignorant as *kitten*.

Sorry to break this to you, but fast food jobs were never meant to be a life sustaining job. It's a starter job, one that you're SUPPOSED to work up from. I understand that sometimes you have to take what you can get, however, do you understand how the economy works? If they raise the wage for fast food workers, everyone else's wage would have to go up as well. You really think a medical assistant is going to get paid the same as a fast food worker? As a result, the price of living will go up significantly and fast food workers STILL won't be able to afford to support themselves. That job is the bottom of the totem pole and always will be. It would be nice if we could all get paid 25 dollars an hour but that's not how life works lol.

Except that companies are pyramidal in structure and therefore most of its employees must be on the bottom rung. One shift manager looks after 10 employees, say, 2 deputy managers look after them, a store manager oversees the lot, area manager looks after several stores......

See how the numbers decrease?

Fullsterkur_woman

The people who are saying fast food jobs are made for high schoolers and teenagers clearly have never owned a fast food restaurant lol.

my parents own 3 Cheese Steak shops, which i spent 3 years working in and eventually managing and i can tell you hands down the laziest, least productive, most likely to call in sick fri/sat (or just be a no call, no show), and over all untrustworthy employees are teenagers/ high school kids.

And how do they attract employees that are better than that? They have to offer a higher wage to get a higher standard of employee. Or, they accept the cost of high turnover and kick the deadbeats to the curb.

SteveJWatson

The people who are saying fast food jobs are made for high schoolers and teenagers clearly have never owned a fast food restaurant lol.

my parents own 3 Cheese Steak shops, which i spent 3 years working in and eventually managing and i can tell you hands down the laziest, least productive, most likely to call in sick fri/sat (or just be a no call, no show), and over all untrustworthy employees are teenagers/ high school kids.

Cue blind rage about "the youth of today"...:bigsmile:

Number_44

Politics:noway:

Personally just do some research a living wage is needed for an economy to prosper, look at the USA pre 1970's. Look at CEO pay and look at companies that are profitable, not a burden to society (with government subsidies) example include Costco vs Walmart/Sams club, or Trader Joes. Both of these companies Costco and Trader Joes pays a living wage, benefits and 401k. They are expanding and increasing revenue daily. Look to Henry Ford, he almost single handedly created the working middle class.

Quotes by one of the riches most powerful men in the USA

If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further. But I think that people at the high end - people like myself - should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it.
Warren Buffett

The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on.
Warren Buffett


I also watched a great interview with him and he pretty much said ...If a company can not make it without cheating its employees and extremely low taxes then they shouldn't be in business. He then went on about when he made the bulk of his empire taxes were high, he stated that since taxes were so high, he didn't want to pay that much to the government so he invested his earnings into his company and grew his fortune....this created jobs.

I am also very against our skilled workers with proper training (emt, and others) earning wages that technically put them into poverty. Our current system is messed up, people always say entitlement, but when I before I was born (1977) you could leave high school get a decent job, buy a house and support your family, I then grew up and that is not the way it is today for the majority of the population. If you are born, raised and never get educated for whatever reason, there is little hope. All the heartless people out there make me wonder what would have happened had they been dealt a bad hand. I have spoken to people that get help from the government and one common factor is that they don't want the help they would rather work but when an employer keeps you part time but still insists your schedule needs to be open, making it impossible to work a second job, it makes things even more complicated and they have no access to health care (preventative) or a way to take a breath so that they could better themselves.

This country did its best when it paid a living wage for minimum wage (current numbers put the 1970 minimum wage at roughly $22.00 per hour) and taxed our corporations appropriately, and yes I know our tax rate is high but out corporations do not pay this rate. there is no reason Walmart can not pay higher taxes and pay their workers a living wage and benefits. Then our Government could also not subsidize every Walmart by covering their employees food and medical bills. If you believe this is a fault of our government that people do not starve to death in the streets of the richest country on earth is really irrelevant. The fact is the tax payer subsidizes the Waltons fortue so that they can continue to profit off of the backs of their employees and the taxpayer.

The fast food workers are looking for a minimum wage increase not just raises for themselves.

On my so called liberal agenda here is a great map. Look at the countries in green that provide universal healthcare then look at the USA and all the places we like to say we are better than, they are all grey.


and YES all of these topics are related, income disparity has nothing to do with entitlement. We own a residential contracting company, we pay our guys above the industry average (laborer$12-$17 to Foreman $28), the reason why is simply we like to have a quality crew that we keep. Training and other expenses are too high to have employee turnover.

this

The ironic thing is that gas now costs $3-4 gallon, and the average transaction price for new vehicle is over $31000. A McDouble -- formerly $1 -- is now $1.19.

About 25 years ago gas was sold around $1, the average transaction price for new vehicle was around $15000. And just a REGULAR cheeseburger (not a double patty) was .99 cents.

Go FIGURE!!!

PaulHalicki

I know opinions on this will vary, but seriously....fast food jobs are supposed to be for teenagers and young adults trying to earn a few bucks while they work their way through school. Not a life long career choice.

Lots of people are taking jobs below their level of education because this is largely a jobless recovery. It isn't that there isn't enough money in the economy; the rich are getting ever richer and corporate profits are robust. You're right; these jobs should be done by teens on their way up. But when there aren't enough jobs to go around, you get people who never thought they'd have to stoop so low applying for those jobs just to get some kind of money coming in. Would you rather they just sat around and collected unemployment?

sweetchildomine

I don't know why people are even bothering to argue about this. Fast food workers are not going to get 15 dollars an hour any time soon. For every employee that's protesting, there's 5 unemployed people that are willing to take their spot lol. I wish that everyone could afford to live comfortably but it's just not realistic and it's NEVER going to happen.

vtmoon

woahohohoho

I worked in the service industry in high school. So this isn't an elitist, "us vs them" viewpoint by any means, and it insults my intelligence that you would assume such. Then *poof* I'm a college student. Guess what, that *poof* isn't luck or a handout or me sitting around waiting for someone to give me a bucket o' cash. This is hard work and aspirations.

Typically I wouldn't make this personal, because anecdotal evidence is useless. But chose to use yourself as an example, soooo...

Ok. Do tell. You went to college. Was it because:


A. Your parents paid for it
B. Student loans paid for it (government assistance)
C. You earned the money through your service industry job


Because A is luck, B is a handout, and C is nearly impossible.

So which is it?

Everyone loves to take all the credit for their accomplishments. They tend to forget all the help they received along the way.

How is B a handout? A loan is something you pay back with interest.

Do you really believe in a capitalist society someone would give you a loan that big to bet on you succeeding in life without any collateral?

Student loans are handouts because they are government backed loans with very low interest rate that the government guarantees the financial institution will be paid one way or another. If the student fails to pay it and defaults the company gets to write it off in their taxes and still go after the student for payment it's a nice business plan with little risk.

So maybe I'm missing how it's considered a handout.

You are being given something that you didn't earn? like beside student loans no one in their right mind would even consider given you that kind of money for nothing...

Handout : something given free to a needy person or organization.

Rage_Phish

The people who are saying fast food jobs are made for high schoolers and teenagers clearly have never owned a fast food restaurant lol.

my parents own 3 Cheese Steak shops, which i spent 3 years working in and eventually managing and i can tell you hands down the laziest, least productive, most likely to call in sick fri/sat (or just be a no call, no show), and over all untrustworthy employees are teenagers/ high school kids.

Cue blind rage about "the youth of today"...:bigsmile:

it has nothing to do with youth of today. it has to do with the employyees needs.

the kid earning spending money with no true financial responsabilities simply doesnt need to care about the job as much (i was a pretty ****ty employee when i was 16 and just trying to earn enough money for beer on the weekend)

the father of 2 with rent to pay and new shoes for his kids to buy is going to be a better employee.

we attrated those better employees by paying more than other fast food restaurants and much more than minimal wage. It's why some of the employees have been there going on 10 years now

F00LofaT00K

Where were any of you when the CEO of McDonalds gave himself a $14 million dollar raise? Why is that ok? Why is increased wages only bad for the poor?

THIS... a bajillion times, this! nobody bats an eye if somebody who is already wealthy decides that they need to be wealthier. Because "this is what capitalism is all about!" But the second somebody wants to afford a 1988 falling apart vehicle to get themselves to work, they feel a sense of "entitlement."

:laugh:

No.

Sorry.

Apparently you don't know the meaning of the word because someone who feels they are entitled wouldn't be caught dead in a 1988 falling apart vehicle .They would demand the latest and greatest fully loaded Lexus SUV.

I own my own business.

I make a great living.

I drive a 2000 jeep cherokee with 230,000 miles on it. It has died on me countless times but I just keep throwing in a new battery and taking it to the shop. I am hoping to get 250,000 miles out of it.

I have never owned a new vehicle. Everything I have is what I can afford and pay in cash.

And why shouldn't those who are wealthy feel they should be wealthier? Who are YOU to say how much I can or can not make or how much I should make? My husband and I bust our *kitten* on our businesses to have the kind of lifestyle we want. WTF are YOU to say we shouldn't? We work hard. We make good money. I will be the one to decide what's enough. Not you, not the government, not any one else. Because it IS what capitalism is all about. I"m fine with someone who wants to make some money, have a good life etc. I'm NOT ok with those people who sit back with their hands out and expect me and everyone else to take care of them because they're "ENTITLED".

That is very good that you and your husband do so well for yourselves. I hope to someday do as well for myself. I would never say you don't deserve the money you make. I never intended to imply that anybody who has money shouldn't work harder to get more. You are taking what I said very personally and reading into things that aren't there. If a wealthy person wants to make more money or gives themself a raise, nobody cares. I meant that and only that. Nobody sits and moans about how entitled they are or how unfair it is. If somebody who is poor wants to make more money, people say they feel entitled. I know the actual meaning of the word "entitled." I also know people who work minimum wage jobs and can't afford the car I described. I couldn't when i made that low of a wage. They would give anything to be making even $9 an hour because then they would be able to store a bit of money here and there and get that car they need so they can get to work. I used the public transportation system before and if work called to offer me more hours and I couldn't get there in time because a bus wasn't available until later, they found somebody else to take the shift. They didn't wait for me to come in an hour and a half later. I WANTED to work harder and more hours but sometimes I wasn't able to. It all depended on how far in advance a coworker called off. But if you read through these posts, people are throwing the word "entitled" around left and right and they really aren't using it correctly. Or if they are then they really have no idea how people are actually living off of $7.25 an hour. Please do not take what I said out of context and apply it to yourself personally.