Fast Food Strike: Workers Walk Out In US Cities

Sky News ^ | July 29, 2013

[kevcol]

Staff at well known chains including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Wendy's were due to walk out on Monday in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, St Louis, Kansas City and Flint, Michigan.

They are calling on fast food restaurants to pay $15 per hour, which compares to the New York state average pay of $8.25 per hour and the minimum wage of $7.25.

The action is being organised by Fast Food Forward, a movement of employees from fast food outlets in New York City aimed at raising wages and increasing workers' rights

[kevcol]

more pics from the "walkout":

[Iron Munro]

The basic problem here is that these people do not have so much as a basic grasp of economic law.

A business cannot pay its laborers more money than they bring in to the company or the business ends up like the US automakers - Overpriced, overstaffed and run by the employees for the employees and the end user be damned.

If the market value of a job is $8 an hour a business cannot pay $15 an hour for that service and remain profitable and compettitive.

But if these complainers were smart enough to figure that out they would be smart enough to qualify for better jobs.

[yldstrk]

oh yeah my liberal dad is always shouting about a living wage

I say hey something is better than nothing, and businesses are not in business to provide jobs

[OrangeHoof]

The store that hires “Baxter” is going to have to have some employees to service and repair “Baxter” as well as reprogram him every time the menu changes.

Plus “Baxter” never will come with a cute smile or a friendly attitude. Those matter to me the few times I go to a fast food place.

[ridesthemiles]

wanna bet robots will replace many fast food workers?”””

Why do you think that YOU fill your own drink? It is cheaper to let you have all the cheap soda you want when at their restaurant than it is to hire some flunky to fill your cup.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

For the most part, that’s what I do. My typical lunch is leftovers from a previous night’s dinner.

[wbill]

they sit down with them and say “look....

That would assume rationality on the part of the worker.

Makes sense to you and me, but many people (esp. those who top out at $8.25/hr fast food positions) can't think things out to a logical conclusion.

I have discussions like this with WBill Jr. all the time... "Dad, I'd like some ice cream, please." (a fair request. I like ice cream, too)

"Not right now, son. It's 4:30 and I'd like you to eat a good dinner. You can have some for dessert." (a fair response. Notice that I didn't say 'no'. Also notice that we'll be having ice cream, at a later time, and after completion of a task...eating a good dinner)

Usually, that's good enough for my son, because he's generally a good kid.

Sometimes, though, he he has a temper tantrum over it... "You're not FAIR! I never get to do ANYTHING I WANT! EVER!!!". Or, sometimes, he just ignores me and tries to take the ice cream. (after reading this article, both tactics should sound familiar....)

Both actions ensure that he doesn't get any ice cream, now, or later for dessert. He knows (or should know, by now) what the end result of unreasonableness will be .... but can't (or doesn't want to) stop and think the situation through to its logical conclusion.

[ridesthemiles]

Is SEIU behind this mess?

[steve86]

So the man of limited ability I know who has worked at McD for 20 years isn’t a man? You’re nuts.

[OneWingedShark]

$15/hr!? For fast food? Ridiculous.

[ridesthemiles]

What these idiots fail to understand is that they must produce at least $15 of revenue per hour worked just to pay their wage. “”””

Payroll overhead adds about 15% to that. I am NOT including ‘health benefits’.

[wbill]

Good pics. I’m seeing a theme in them. Is it non-PC to notice things like that?

[chessplayer]

“middle aged “man” who is still working at a fast food restaurant as anything but a manager or owner isn’t a man.”

“I disagree. I would do it, if there were no other options open to me, and I needed to provide for my family. There’s no shame whatsoever in earning an honest wage for doing an honest day’s work.”

---

Thats what my parents taught me long ago. Guess times have changed.

[winodog]

This is pure street agitator economics

**********
The revolution proceeds. The plans for chaos were developed long ago and are picking up steam.

[Truth is a Weapon]

It is very difficult for a strike for significantly higher wages to work when your area is at 25% unemployment.

[lastchance]

I’ve seen most of what passes for “working” by many of these. They are taking advantage of the system by even being paid minimum.

Seriously these used to be jobs for high school kids who had Mom and Dad paying most of their expenses. The mess of the economy is what forced adults who need these jobs to pay bills is what brought this about.

[ridesthemiles]

There isn’t a single person in that photo I would hire to stack hay or water my horses or pick up manure on my ranch.

NOT ONE.

[ridesthemiles]

I wonder how many union people in South Bend, Indiana are waiting for Studebaker to come back & open the assembly plant???

[chessplayer]

There isn’t a single person in that photo I would hire to stack hay or water my horses or pick up manure on my ranch.

NOT ONE.

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Enjoy supporting them with your taxes.

[Jay Redhawk]

Many older guys working fast food are fresh out of prison. Ex-cons have to start someplace.