US fast-food workers staging nationwide strike

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Cricket2 said:
To my memory it is not a liberal who first broke the unions. It was then President Regan, or have you forgot the Traffic Controller Strike in which he had them all fired for expecting better work conditions and wages?
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Actually, Reagan fired them for breaking the law, they had no right to strike. He also gave the strikers an opportunity to go back to their jobs. So the traffic controllers who lost their jobs only got what they deserved.
 
stinkcat_14 said:
Actually, Reagan fired them for breaking the law, they had no right to strike. He also gave the strikers an opportunity to go back to their jobs. So the traffic controllers who lost their jobs only got what they deserved.
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They were also offered increases, and the offer was rejected…
 
I love McDonalds workers. At least in my area, they are the friendliest people. They always greet you with a smile, always polite and a joy to go thru the drive thru especially early in morning.

But $15.00 in minimum wage won’t cut it.

Again why is the AFL-CIO taking this on. These workers don’t belong to that union.
 
Vasallus said:
The thing is, if the minimum wage goes to $15/hr., the cost of everything goes up accordingly. So the minimum wage guy still can’t afford what he couldn’t afford before the wage hike. So what good does it do? Seriously, some people just don’t think things through.
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The price of fast food will double, more or less, assuming the workforce composition stays the same.

As long as the poor and middle class are willing to pay for that, I don’t see a problem.

Thing is, no one does want to pay for it. They will simply expect the companies to eat the difference, which is the fastest way to losses, downsizing, and bankruptcy.

I’d like to see a survey of people willing to pay $8 for a combo at McDonalds in exchange for doubling the minimum wage. As long as the public is willing to bite the bullet, go ahead. I personally think these sort of cost increases punish the poorest among us.
 
Birdpreacher said:
good thing the ceo’s at Mcdonalds taught you how to read and basic arithmatic…no what that was the tax payers through public schools, who are also paying for social security benifits to numerous fast food employees.
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Some of us paid taxes for public education (exorbitant taxes in MD and MA) and financed our own private education, TYVM. Don’t act as though I owe you some debt. I owe that to God, and Mom and Dad.

If the workers do not come back, it can’t possibly be that hard to replace them, given unemployment numbers. Not sure the workers have much leverage other than PR.
 
Vasallus said:
The thing is, if the minimum wage goes to $15/hr., the cost of everything goes up accordingly. So the minimum wage guy still can’t afford what he couldn’t afford before the wage hike. So what good does it do? Seriously, some people just don’t think things through.
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Thats not necessarily true, what about when CEOs and other high level employees get HUGE raises, prices do not go up as a result of that…what difference would this be?

Even if prices did go up, I would not mind and would be willing to pay more for a happy meal, if I knew it meant the workers were getting paid a wage they could live on.

I doubt they will get $15. though, I tend to think it will more likely be around $12. per hour. which would be about an additional $142. each week for an employee averaging 30 hours a week, so that is not that much money, when compared to the profits some of these companies rake in.
 
HappyCatholic01 said:
The price of fast food will double, more or less, assuming the workforce composition stays the same.

As long as the poor and middle class are willing to pay for that, I don’t see a problem.

Thing is, no one does want to pay for it. They will simply expect the companies to eat the difference, which is the fastest way to losses, downsizing, and bankruptcy.

I’d like to see a survey of people willing to pay $8 for a combo at McDonalds in exchange for doubling the minimum wage. As long as the public is willing to bite the bullet, go ahead. I personally think these sort of cost increases punish the poorest among us.
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If you are poor, you should not be eating out, but cooking at home. Why is it that eating out is considered a normal part of life? You can make a much healthier meal at home for less cost.
 
mikekle said:
Thats not necessarily true, what about when CEOs and other high level employees get HUGE raises, prices do not go up as a result of that…what difference would this be?

Even if prices did go up, I would not mind and would be willing to pay more for a happy meal, if I knew it meant the workers were getting paid a wage they could live on.

I doubt they will get $15. though, I tend to think it will more likely be around $12. per hour. which would be about an additional $142. each week for an employee averaging 30 hours a week, so that is not that much money, when compared to the profits some of these companies rake in.
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I agree, the companies can spare a few more bucks an hour and still make money.
 
gam197 said:
I love McDonalds workers. At least in my area, they are the friendliest people. They always greet you with a smile, always polite and a joy to go thru the drive thru especially early in morning.

But $15.00 in minimum wage won’t cut it.

Again why is the AFL-CIO taking this on. These workers don’t belong to that union.
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The McDonald workers do not belong to the AFL-CIO union NOW. The union has been trying for a very long time to unionize fast food workers and this is just another one of their tactics to do it. Unionized fast food workers will be no better off than they are now.
 
HappyCatholic01 said:
Some of us paid taxes for public education (exorbitant taxes in MD and MA) and financed our own private education, TYVM. Don’t act as though I owe you some debt. I owe that to God, and Mom and Dad.

If the workers do not come back, it can’t possibly be that hard to replace them, given unemployment numbers. Not sure the workers have much leverage other than PR.
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you. missed. the. point.

The taxpayers pay for Mcdonald’s educated workforce and for their housing and for any other benifits the workers are receiving from the govt since McDonalds does not pay a living wage.

**Result is that McDonalds is the ultimate welfare queen **
 
A shut down of the fast food industry in the US will likely do more to improve the health of the nation than Obamacare ever will.
 
Birdpreacher said:
you. missed. the. point.

The taxpayers pay for Mcdonald’s educated workforce and for their housing and for any other benifits the workers are receiving from the govt since McDonalds does not pay a living wage.

**Result is that McDonalds is the ultimate welfare queen **
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I agree. We all end up subsidizing employers who don’t pay decent wages, or give full time hours.
 
Vasallus said:
The thing is, if the minimum wage goes to $15/hr., the cost of everything goes up accordingly. So the minimum wage guy still can’t afford what he couldn’t afford before the wage hike. So what good does it do? Seriously, some people just don’t think things through.
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Maybe the masses are sick and tired of being paid chicken feed for their work and then being expected to live on it. Perhaps people fail to realize that most products we buy are marked up as much as 4000%. Yes that $100.00 you forked over for (whatever) really cost a mere 2 cents. There is no need for a thing to increase in price if the wage goes up to $15/hr. No need at all.
 
Cricket2 said:
To my memory it is not a liberal who first broke the unions. It was then President Regan, or have you forgot the Traffic Controller Strike in which he had them all fired for expecting better work conditions and wages?
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Hardly the first “breaking of the unions”. It was a big move against federal workers (who didn’t have the legal right to strike anyway). That’s what they were fired for - an *illegal *strike.
 
DeniseNY said:
They were also offered increases, and the offer was rejected…
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The increases they were offered were inadequate. But that’s OK, we still have overworked air traffic control workers, who can fall asleep due to exhaustion and then a plane can crash in mid air with another plane, or on the runway with another plane, or…then won’t we just want to hang the poor slob for being human.
 
Cricket2 said:
No one, and I mean no one should be paid less than a living wage, let alone the minimum wage. And who are you to suggest that those folks working in fast-food establishments are “untalented” and “not to bright.”? No one deserves to work their “fanny” off and get poverty wages for it. As I have said before let the trash collectors, janitors, custodians or housekeepers strike, or teachers and police and firefighters and they will missed immediately. Let the Governor or Mayor strike and it will not be noticed for a long time.

Maybe we should do as they do in some parts of France: anyone who aspires to be the Governor or Mayor does so for free. No wage at all-strictly volunteer. Bet that would clear a lot of things up fast.
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My first job was delivering papers when I was 12. I wouldn’t been nice if I could’ve been paid a living wage. I could’ve moved out of the house. 😃

I worked in fast food all through college. NOBODY…I repeat…NOBODY…that worked there in a nonmanagement position considered it a job that would support a family. It was pocket cash for high school and college kids, and also a second income for some (generally younger) married woman.

Under management level, it a job that requires very little skill for entry, which means everyone can do it. When demand for a job vastly exceeds supply, and the job requires virtually no skill set, it means pay will be low, low, low…and everyone that worked there knew this. At what point in time did a fast-food job become a job where one must get paid a living wage?

People that worked in fast food also knew something else: They can make a living wage, provided they go into management. When I graduated college I was BEGGED by the company to become a manager. And interestingly enough, I would’ve started at more than double my first job out of college that required a college degree. But I was willing to sacrifice in the beginning to benefit in the end. One of my associates stayed and became a regional manager, and they make plenty of money.

People that take the easy path in any job, requiring a low skill set and tons of competition, are not going to be paid much…that basic economics.
 
I firmly believe that no one who professes to be a Christian can find anyway in their heart to accept people of any occupation being paid poverty wages. I would suggest if you want to know what it is like to work 12-14 hour days and get no more than 25K/year quit your current job and give it a shot. And to make it fair you have to trade in your cars for a clunker that does not run, your house for a ratty one bedroom apartment, empty your food shelves and fridge, get rid of your credit cards and nice new cloths and empty your savings until all you have is $30.00. You can use the money for clothes from the local $1 store.

Try being a day laborer with a construction company, a nurse aid, a fast food worker, cook,janitor, or lowly admin assistant for a college. Forget your degree because most people with a degree don’t get that all mighty 6 figure income and not for the lack of trying either. We have become a nation of poor and rich. The middle class is all but dissolved. And that is a pity.
 
Ever occur to you many of us started at that level and actually bothered to improve our material station in life?
 
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