Fast Food Workers Strike For Higher Wages

[Straight Shooter]

Employees of selected branches of McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Wendy's walked off their shifts at various points throughout the day. In New York City more than a hundred workers marched to a McDonald's in Union Square, chanting for the restaurant to "supersize" their wages.

The Fast Food Forward campaign is calling for workers to receive a minimum of $15 per hour, more than double the federal minimum wage.

"A lot of the workers are living in poverty, you know, not being able to afford to put food on the table or take the train to work," Jonathan Westin, director of Fast Food Forward, told New York's 1010 WINS radio station.

"The workers are striking over the fact that they can't continue to maintain their families on the wages they're being paid in the fast food industry."

Fast Food Forward began as a New York-specific campaign, but has spread across the country as workers campaign for better pay. Walkouts were to be held in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, St Louis, Kansas City, and Flint, Michigan, as well as New York City. Earlier this month, New York City workers walked out of a McDonald's after they were forced to work in record-high temperatures without air conditioning.

More than a hundred fast food workers – employed at companies including McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and Wendy's – gathered at Union Square in Manhattan at 2.30pm. "Hold the burgers, hold the fries, make our wages supersize," the mostly black and Latino crowd chanted. Many carried red signs – handed out by Fast Food Forward – which read: "Strike for higher pay, for a stronger New York."

Derrick Langley, 27, who earns $7.25 an hour working at a KFC in midtown Manhattan, said the strike was "for respect".

"And for the kids that's coming up too. Everybody that's striking doesn't want them to have to go through the same troubles we went through."

Living on minimum wage in one of the world's most expensive cities was "kind of rough", Langley said. "I'm just here hoping, and praying, and fighting for this change that's going to happen."

Jose Marin, 35, said he had worked at Burger King for seven years. He earns $7.65 an hour.

"I've been busting my ass for seven years for nothing," he said. "I haven't got medical, no nothing on the job. That's not right."

The workers marched 200m or so from Union Square to a McDonald's, where they were met by two private security officers and police. They heard from a series of local politicians keen to get in on the campaigning.

New York state assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, whose district includes the Union Square area, was among those who addressed the crowd, using the 'call and response' amplification technique popularised by Occupy Wall Street protesters almost two years ago.

"We've been working in Albany to raise the minimum wage. And we've only made a little bit of progress so far, as I'm sure you all know," Kavanagh said.

"We're not finished working on that, and more importantly, we can see how much enthusiasm there is and strength there is in this movement focussing on the needs of fast food workers – some of the hardest workers in our city who feed millions of people every day."

Fast Food Forward says people working in restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King are usually paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. More than 120,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the restaurants to double this, in a move campaigners says will benefit workers and strengthen the economy.

The average fast food worker in New York City earns an annual income of $11,000, according to the campaign, far below the median household income of $48,631. Most are not full-time employees.

Last week President Barack Obama renewed his call for an improved minimum wage in a speech in Galesburg, Illinois. The president used his state of the union speech in February to campaign for the federal minimum to be raised to $9 an hour, which he said would return the minimum to the same value it had been at the beginning of Ronald Reagan's presidency in 1981.

Burger King spokesman Bryson Thornton said the company's restaurants "have provided an entry point into the workforce for millions of Americans".

"Over 99% of all Burger King restaurants in the United States are independently owned and operated by third party franchisees. As a corporation, we respect the rights of all workers; however, Burger King Corp does not make hiring, firing or other employment-related decisions for our franchisees."

Reached for comment, McDonalds told the Guardian to contact the National Restaurant Association. Scott DeFife, the group's executive vice-president of policy and government affairs, said the restaurant industry was "one of the best paths to achieving the American dream" and "provides opportunities for millions of Americans ... to move up the ladder and succeed".

"Restaurants operate on very thin profit margins. Significant additional labor costs can negatively impact a restaurant's ability to hire or maintain jobs. The cost of living varies greatly nationwide, while current proposals aimed at doubling the minimum wage would have a significant effect on the private sector's ability to create jobs, especially those typically filled by first-time workers and teens."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/29/fast-food-workers-strike-wages

Thoughts?

 

[grower_boy]

Ridiculous. Why do these people deserve twice of minimum wage to do a minimum wage job?

 

[georges]

with a low education level, you can't have a high salary

 

[Rattrap]

Setting aside the inevitable partisan diatribes, this brings up good questions about wages which I'm really not educated enough in economics to give an answer to; on one hand there is idea that entry-level unskilled positions shouldn't be comfortably paid, because it's not a family-supporting middle-aged adult in mind, but some kid working his way through high school/college on an otherwise subsidized lifestyle. Whether or not we support education in the States enough for that to be a reality (considering all the unfilled, highly trained positions apparently at the moment unfilled, I suspect not) is a rather big subject on its own.

On the other hand, there's this Henry Ford-style 'well-paid employees become well-paying customers' line of thought, although there are obviously limits to this, otherwise why not just make minimum wage $100/hour? Of course one should keep in mind the skill difference between someone who was in the factory making cars and someone flipping burgers (though now that I think about it, they are both assembly lines...).

I do think doubling in one go is taking the piss. With my lifestyle, I'd feel veritably rich on $15/hour - but said lifestyle includes the absence of a family to support. I'm still finding it interesting that here in Germany, outside a few specific industries, there is no minimum wage.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Setting aside the inevitable partisan diatribes, this brings up good questions about wages which I'm really not educated enough in economics to give an answer to; on one hand there is idea that entry-level unskilled positions shouldn't be comfortably paid, because it's not a family-supporting middle-aged adult in mind, but some kid working his way through high school/college on an otherwise subsidized lifestyle. Whether or not we support education in the States enough for that to be a reality (considering all the unfilled, highly trained positions apparently at the moment unfilled, I suspect not) is a rather big subject on its own.

On the other hand, there's this Henry Ford-style 'well-paid employees become well-paying customers' line of thought, although there are obviously limits to this, otherwise why not just make minimum wage $100/hour? Of course one should keep in mind the skill difference between someone who was in the factory making cars and someone flipping burgers (though now that I think about it, they are both assembly lines...).

I do think doubling in one go is taking the piss. With my lifestyle, I'd feel veritably rich on $15/hour - but said lifestyle includes the absence of a family to support. I'm still finding it interesting that here in Germany, outside a few specific industries, there is no minimum wage.

The average age of a fast food worker is 28. For women, it's 32 years old. I was watching Colbert tonight and he showed a clip of Neil Cavuto talking about how he got a job at a local fast food restaurant when he was 14. He said something like he got paid $2 hour and Colbert responded by saying that 14 year old Neil Cavuto didnt have to pay rent and feed two children though

 

[Philbert]

This is a topic that needs no discussion, it's obvious.
These are jobs that are part time, and only illegals and idiots are gonna think they can support a family on these wages.
In the end, like every other industry, when people become too uncertain and too costly, automation will become more relevant, and many teens and part time workers will have many less choices. No more on the job training for new workplace entrants, no more extra second salary jobs for many.
And no way is a system that has worked fine for a long while gonna just give it up to noisy gimme types.
They'll be unemployed. And more automation will forever replace human hands at McDonalds.

 

[Petra]

Here's the thing about fast food jobs, unless you want to work up the chain and make it a career (which by no means is a bad thing, several people who were on my McD's crew did just that and are store managers or work for the corp) it's not meant to be a job for adults.

Also, unless you're as lazy as fuck and have zero ambition, there's no reason you can't move up to better paying positions. I started working at McD's when I was 16 at $5.10 an hour. I left at 22 as the most valuable shift manager in the store, making $17 an hour and having to train 2 replacements to take over all of my jobs and responsibilities. If a 16 year old kid can move up the ladder, so can an adult.

I don't agree with just giving higher wages to give higher wages.

 

[Rattrap]

The average age of a fast food worker is 28. For women, it's 32 years old. I was watching Colbert tonight and he showed a clip of Neil Cavuto talking about how he got a job at a local fast food restaurant when he was 14. He said something like he got paid $2 hour and Colbert responded by saying that 14 year old Neil Cavuto didnt have to pay rent and feed two children though

I think they played the same clip on the Daily Show, also showing that $2 then was akin to $9.50 or something today.

I'm beginning to think a little deeper about this education point I brought up earlier...

Here's the thing about fast food jobs, unless you want to work up the chain and make it a career (which by no means is a bad thing, several people who were on my McD's crew did just that and are store managers or work for the corp) it's not meant to be a job for adults.

Also, unless you're as lazy as fuck and have zero ambition, there's no reason you can't move up to better paying positions. I started working at McD's when I was 16 at $5.10 an hour. I left at 22 as the most valuable shift manager in the store, making $17 an hour and having to train 2 replacements to take over all of my jobs and responsibilities. If a 16 year old kid can move up the ladder, so can an adult.

This is true; even there you should be able to move up. Unless there are too many people going for the same positions.

I've only been here for a year, so I'm still learning the ins and outs of Germany's educational system, but I suspect one of the reasons they get away with not having a minimum wage at all for workers such as those at McDonald's is that education is a) mostly free and b) really good. As in, in high school (I should say the equivalent thereof), students can already be working on internships/apprenticeships. I recently toured a factory building automation technology and there were quite a few teenagers working there.

What I think is that because the population has good and early educational opportunities, even places like McDonald's have to pay appropriately competitive wages, else their workers - who are becoming more qualified every year through school - will leave in no time.

In other words, I think this business back in the States is a symptom of a bigger problem.

I don't agree with just giving higher wages to give higher wages.

This I agree with.

 

[Philbert]

This is reminiscent of the illegals protesting a few years back, waving their Mexican flags...backfired on those idiots big time.
What is gonna happen is, if this gets more legs, layoffs of the previously out of work older types filling these part-time jobs will leave or get replaced by the normal teen or college age FF workers who got squeezed out in Otrama's economy. Teens have around a 25% unemployment rate, and want flexible part time jobs.
I'd like to see automation reduce needed bodies onsite to 3 per shift, then more illegals will flood back to Mexico, Honduras, and Belize, without income available even illegally.

 

[Rey C.]

I've only been here for a year, so I'm still learning the ins and outs of Germany's educational system, but I suspect one of the reasons they get away with not having a minimum wage at all for workers such as those at McDonald's is that education is a) mostly free and b) really good. As in, in high school (I should say the equivalent thereof), students can already be working on internships/apprenticeships. I recently toured a factory building automation technology and there were quite a few teenagers working there.

What I think is that because the population has good and early educational opportunities, even places like McDonald's have to pay appropriately competitive wages, else their workers - who are becoming more qualified every year through school - will leave in no time.

In other words, I think this business back in the States is a symptom of a bigger problem.

Excellent points! I highlighted the portions in red because at one time we had pretty good apprenticeship programs here. For skilled trades, like printing, wood and metal working, electricians and plumbing, a kid could put himself on a path to go from being a low/no paid apprentice to eventually becoming a (very) well paid journeyman. There was actually a laid-out, documented way to do that. Most of these job categories have upper pay ranges that approach $80-$90K/year. But we no longer really have that in the U.S. now. I don't know why. I don't know what happened. Part of the problem is that the United States has not had a manufacturing policy or a trade school (or even general education) policy in several decades. Just as our infrastructure has been decaying for many years, so has our secondary/post-secondary educational system. Democrats spend way too much time protecting teachers and their union and the Republicans are content to let children be barefoot and ignorant... we'll just get "smart labor" on the cheap from India and China, the way they see it. But from what I've read and heard, Germany (especially) and certain other European countries still have good, effective apprentice systems, that train young people to become productive, well paid members of society.

There are technically oriented, skilled job openings here in the U.S. that have not been filled for months. Yet we still have a high unemployment rate. Seems odd, eh? But businesses want/need people with highly developed technical skills, not people for entry level jobs that need heavy training before they can become productive.

As for the McD's situation (or the minimum wage in general), I don't know. Certainly the minimum wage needs to be adjusted for inflation. And as opposed to what some on the far right will claim, I believe there does need to be a minimum wage. But as others here have said, the minimum wage generally applies to jobs that are not meant to be long term. You either work your way up the chain through promotion or you leave for school, further training or whatever. The fellow who said that he'd been in the same job making minimum wage for seven years (?)... I'm guessing there's more to that story than initially meets the eye. Is the market value of his current job anywhere close to $15/hour? I kind of doubt it. If you can be replaced in a day's time, with minimal training, then the value of your position just isn't that high. Sp mandating a minimum wage that high (even in New York) doesn't seem like the right way to go to me. It seems like that would just force businesses to downsize their staffs at some point. But I'd like to hear more thoughts on this. What is "fair"??? How do we decide that? I don't know.

 

[HehehehehehehehehehahaHyena]

Thoughts?

with a low education level, you can't have a high salary

Is double the minimum wage, which most people have trouble living off, really a high salary? I you really think so, then I suspect you're satisfied with a payscale below that which you deserve.

Setting aside the inevitable partisan diatribes, this brings up good questions about wages which I'm really not educated enough in economics to give an answer to; on one hand there is idea that entry-level unskilled positions shouldn't be comfortably paid, because it's not a family-supporting middle-aged adult in mind, but some kid working his way through high school/college on an otherwise subsidized lifestyle. Whether or not we support education in the States enough for that to be a reality (considering all the unfilled, highly trained positions apparently at the moment unfilled, I suspect not) is a rather big subject on its own.

On the other hand, there's this Henry Ford-style 'well-paid employees become well-paying customers' line of thought, although there are obviously limits to this, otherwise why not just make minimum wage $100/hour? Of course one should keep in mind the skill difference between someone who was in the factory making cars and someone flipping burgers (though now that I think about it, they are both assembly lines...).

I do think doubling in one go is taking the piss. With my lifestyle, I'd feel veritably rich on $15/hour - but said lifestyle includes the absence of a family to support. I'm still finding it interesting that here in Germany, outside a few specific industries, there is no minimum wage.

Apart from taking the piss your little diatribe sounded like the dialogue of a two bit Witchita whore.

As for the titular strike... REALLY? Who on Earth will be seriously bothered that they can't buy fast food anymore?
Yes the bosses will be bothered at loss of income, but they will not cave because they will be imbedded with the idea of themselves being at the top of the primate heirarchical chain.
Frankly I'm amazed workers at this level decided to strike anywhere, let alone in america.
Admittedly, due to a lack of real jobs people may have to attempt to support families in this sector, yet I don't see how they'll do that by striking. That said they couldn't do it by working.

 

[Philbert]

Thoughts?

Is double the minimum wage, which most people have trouble living off, really a high salary? I you really think so, then I suspect you're satisfied with a payscale below that which you deserve.

Apart from taking the piss your little diatribe sounded like the dialogue of a two bit Witchita whore.

As for the titular strike... REALLY? Who on Earth will be seriously bothered that they can't buy fast food anymore?
Yes the bosses will be bothered at loss of income, but they will not cave because they will be imbedded with the idea of themselves being at the top of the primate heirarchical chain.
Frankly I'm amazed workers at this level decided to strike anywhere, let alone in america.
Admittedly, due to a lack of real jobs people may have to attempt to support families in this sector, yet I don't see how they'll do that by striking. That said they couldn't do it by working.

Now it's a bit clearer...you are a homeless mental case, living behind a dumpster in an alley where no one goes except to throw out garbage.
You use a public library to go online and pretend to be a regular person and look at pretty women. Got it.
You seemed so demented on the one hand, and almost normal on the other, occasionally rational on a few subjects.
But you lost it here, and now I can see the true measure.

"REALLY? Who on Earth will be seriously bothered that they can't buy fast food anymore?"

Well, start with the President of the USA and work your way down to...well, literally millions of people daily. I occasionally love a Double Angus burger with mushrooms and cheese with killer fries. And a fish sandwich...
Behind the dumpster your food source is so close, so you don't get Fast Food. I see that.

"Admittedly, due to a lack of real jobs people may have to attempt to support families in this sector"

In the real world, beyond the space behind the dumpster, no one is supporting a family solely on McDonalds or Burger King pay at worker bee status.
Illegals 8 and 10 to a house, with gov't cheese and several working residents can, but a part time minimum wage is not intended and won't support a family of stray dogs. Or you, even...
At $i5 an hour, after taxes, 40 hours a week would only be $480, and that's full time with 20% taken out.
But a company paying that would not be able to keep the same business model as unlimited workers at various shift structures for a minimum wage. After huge layoffs and such, unemployed people would be offering lower and lower wage requirements for jobs.
Only illegals think working for a lower and lower wage to get a job is a good system.
Think Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath...

"...your little diatribe sounded like the dialogue of a two bit Witchita whore."

Well, ya got me there. Unlike you, I am unfamiliar with the dialogues of Wichita whores...but obviously they are way smarter than yourself.

If any FF restaurant gives in to striking workers and raises wages more than a few cents, I will acknowledge my total misunderstanding of this reality, and apologize for being so wrong.
This offer expires in 1 month.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Great article about how McDonalds in Australia pays $15 an hour and is still profitable
http://www.theatlantic.com/business...donalds-pays-15-an-hour-its-australia/278313/

 

[Philbert]

"The country allows lower pay for teenagers, and the labor deal McDonald's struck with its employees currently pays 16-year-olds roughly US$8-an-hour, not altogether different from what they'd make in the states. In an email, Greg Bamber, a professor at Australia's Monash University who has studied labor relations in the country's fast food industry, told me that as a result, McDonald's relies heavily on young workers in Australia. It's a specific quirk of the country's wage system.

... they've at least managed to replace a few of them with computers. As Michael Schaefer, an analyst with Euromonitor International, told me, fast food franchises in Europe have been some of the earliest adopters of touchscreen kiosks that let customers order without a cashier. As always, the peril of making employees more expensive is that machines become cheaper in comparison."

Either you didn't read the article, or you are indeed a bit slow in cognitive skills.
I and others have said pretty much what the article says; even that you should be prepared to pay more for product and see less jobs all around.

 

[Straight Shooter]

"The country allows lower pay for teenagers, and the labor deal McDonald's struck with its employees currently pays 16-year-olds roughly US$8-an-hour, not altogether different from what they'd make in the states. In an email, Greg Bamber, a professor at Australia's Monash University who has studied labor relations in the country's fast food industry, told me that as a result, McDonald's relies heavily on young workers in Australia. It's a specific quirk of the country's wage system.

... they've at least managed to replace a few of them with computers. As Michael Schaefer, an analyst with Euromonitor International, told me, fast food franchises in Europe have been some of the earliest adopters of touchscreen kiosks that let customers order without a cashier. As always, the peril of making employees more expensive is that machines become cheaper in comparison."

Either you didn't read the article, or you are indeed a bit slow in cognitive skills.
I and others have said pretty much what the article says; even that you should be prepared to pay more for product and see less jobs all around.

Why are you so combative? Almost every one of your posts is negative or confrontational. "You are a indeed a bit slow in cognitive skills"? All I said was that it was good article to read. Lighten the fuck up man. You take shit way too seriously on here.

 

[brodkill]

what will happen when you raise the wages of the employees at fast food restaurants is that the cost of menu items will go up, and then people who are working in other jobs not making much money will go elsewhere for food because these places are not a good value anymore, and then the restaurants that raised there employees wages will have less customers, they will lose money, and wont be able to afford to pay the employees, so they will cut the employees hours, and then the employees may be making more money but they will be working less hours, so it will bite them in the ass

these people who striked, should have thought this through first.

where i live, the minimum wage was raised a year or so ago, which in my opinion was a horrible idea. i worked my but off to get to the wage i am making now, and then some 16 year old kid with no experience who lives at home with mommy and daddy gets paid 2 or 3 dollars less than i do. there should be a different minimum wage depending on your living circumstances, such as a 16 year old kid who lives at home would make less of a starting wage than a 24 year old who is living on there own and paying there way through college. I know they will be doing the same job, but you have to think about stuff like this

 

[Philbert]

Why are you so combative? Almost every one of your posts is negative or confrontational. "You are a indeed a bit slow in cognitive skills"? All I said was that it was good article to read. Lighten the fuck up man. You take shit way too seriously on here.

Great article about how McDonalds in Australia pays $15 an hour and is still profitable

Why are you so shit for brains?
8 1/2 posts stipulating that it can't be done without serious repercussions, it's a silly strike, or consequences would outweigh the benefits. And you post that "well, Australia did it!", implying we were all misguided or wrong.
So...since Australia has a minimum wage of $14.90, MickeyD raised prices, added higher Dollar and profit items, and got a concession to pay 16 year olds $7.90. Same wages, just like here.
Which is what most of us said is the case...as Aussies are being used in a major way in FF places if they're 16 and many less adults are working, harder and for less hours.
Duh...
And as in Europe here comes automation to cut out newly non tenable high cost live person jobs.
And their profits have gone down a bit, meaning more jobs will be looked for to eliminate.
What most posters said is the downside, and what you tried to show Australia did without any problem...not.

So...either you didn't read the article, have low reading comprehension skills, or are just being a butthead.

Who throws out lots of nasty names at others and complains when called out for BS.

 

[Petra]

what will happen when you raise the wages of the employees at fast food restaurants is that the cost of menu items will go up, and then people who are working in other jobs not making much money will go elsewhere for food because these places are not a good value anymore, and then the restaurants that raised there employees wages will have less customers, they will lose money, and wont be able to afford to pay the employees, so they will cut the employees hours, and then the employees may be making more money but they will be working less hours, so it will bite them in the ass

these people who striked, should have thought this through first.

where i live, the minimum wage was raised a year or so ago, which in my opinion was a horrible idea. i worked my but off to get to the wage i am making now, and then some 16 year old kid with no experience who lives at home with mommy and daddy gets paid 2 or 3 dollars less than i do. there should be a different minimum wage depending on your living circumstances, such as a 16 year old kid who lives at home would make less of a starting wage than a 24 year old who is living on there own and paying there way through college. I know they will be doing the same job, but you have to think about stuff like this

See, this is how the Netherlands actually handles minimum wage. I think the legal working age starts at 13 or 14 and you only get a few euro an hour. As you become older, that amount goes up until you're at the maximum minimum wage by age 22.

The theory behind this is you still live with your parents, and a lot of kids are in tech school/college/university and still living at home and the parents are still paying a lot of the bills. But, the kids earn enough working fast food or stocking shelves to have pocket change of their own and learn how the real world works. And of course there's the fact that a good chunk of higher education is paid for by the government.

 

[georges]

Thoughts?

Is double the minimum wage, which most people have trouble living off, really a high salary? I you really think so, then I suspect you're satisfied with a payscale below that which you deserve.

Depends what you call a high salary, but you can't give to a noob or a beginner a high salary especially if he isn't a graduate and has no experience, same comment goes with the low qualified or the people with a low or average educational level. Prove that you are better than the others and you will get a raise. I am never satisfied with what I have, that is why I am starting in a new job in September.

 

[tarzanyaa]

I'm wondering who says no!!!!!