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Why robots could soon replace fast food workers demanding higher minimum wage
KIRO-FM's The Curley and Walsh Show ^ | July 11, 2013 | Josh Kerns

Posted on 07/29/2013 11:03:49 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

If Seattle fast workers demanding a big raise in the minimum wage get their way, they'll soon be replaced by robots says KIRO Radio's John Curley, who points to growing automation as a warning to those who want $15 an hour or more to flip burgers.

A group of local fast food workers recently staged a one-day walkout and are calling on the Seattle City Council to increase the minimum wage from $9.19 per hour - the highest in the country - to $15 an hour.

"We're asking for $15 because in order to support one person in a one bedroom apartment you need to make $14.88. We don't make anywhere near that and we're all on food stamps," 23-year-old Amanda Larson told KIRO Radio's Linda Thomas recently as she worked the counter at a Seattle Arby's.

But restaurant owners argue they simply can't afford it. With technology continuing to allow restaurants around the world to replace people with robots and computers, Curley says look no farther than several examples in Japan and Europe as a sign of what's to come if the Seattle workers get their way.

A noted Japanese sushi-chain has robots making food while customers order on a touch screen. A conveyer belt delivers their food and a computer tracks customer purchases and automates their bill payment at the end.

"There are no managers in this restaurant," Curley says. "The managers are all in a centrally located place that are just simply watching video screens. So they've been able to cut out almost all the help."

Several years ago, McDonald's installed thousands of touch-screen kiosks at stores across Europe, replacing cashiers entirely. The company has reportedly also tried out automated burger flippers to further cut back on employees.

It's not far fetched. A Chinese restaurateur has developed a robotic chef now found in a number of noodle bars, further eliminating the need for humans. With the robot chefs costing just $1,500, they're far cheaper than employees and don't demand raises or breaks.

Curley says the workers here demanding higher wages for a job that should be entry-level should think twice before raising too much of a fuss - before they find themselves completely obsolete.

"The saddest thing for this story, if you follow it, is robots will replace human beings in these McDonald's and fast food restaurants and low skill workers will have really no place to go."

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: automation; food; macwages; minimumwage; minwage; robotics; robots
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To: GeronL
artificially higher wages is a form of welfare too

correct. A minimum wage doesn't help imho

21 posted on 07/30/2013 12:05:30 AM PDT by Cronos (Latin presbuteros>Late Latin presbyter->Old English pruos->Middle Engl prest->priest)
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To: GeronL

22 posted on 07/30/2013 12:06:59 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I aim to raise a million plus for Gov. Palin. What'll you do?.)
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To: Cronos
"work to get citizenship" ideal

Because nothing says freedom more than being a government slave for some odd number of years.

23 posted on 07/30/2013 12:07:26 AM PDT by GeronL
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Give me a number 5 ... for a robocop.”


24 posted on 07/30/2013 12:09:22 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham (I'll retire to Bedlam.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If these nutters got their way, we could see these places on every corner, just one person managing a 7-eleven sized store with pizza, burger, chicken and nacho machines. THAT person will likely be paid pretty good.

Gotta keep the ingredients stocked after all.


25 posted on 07/30/2013 12:09:24 AM PDT by GeronL
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To: Cronos
While on recruiter's aide duty for two months in my home town, I drove a young man to the MEPS who had finally passed his ASVAB by the skin of his teeth so that he could join the Army. He was assigned to bath and laundry. That is a trade.
26 posted on 07/30/2013 12:09:38 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I aim to raise a million plus for Gov. Palin. What'll you do?.)
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To: Jeff Chandler; Jonty30
barriers such as laziness and stupidity.

the laziness can be worked out, but that will take decades of work. It's like the Roman republic. Initially everyone was working hard for the community as a whole then the politicians learnt about giving free bread and circuses to get votes....

27 posted on 07/30/2013 12:10:04 AM PDT by Cronos (Latin presbuteros>Late Latin presbyter->Old English pruos->Middle Engl prest->priest)
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To: Cronos

What do we do?

First, start unwinding the policies and laws that have driven up the cost of living. The issue is at least partly the zoning laws that allow rich liberals to continue living in their insulated neighborhoods while keeping the poor, poor so they vote demonratic

Second, some of these people may need to move to other locations where the cost of living is lower. This would lower the cost of living in large cities by reducing the pressure on the housing supply. It would also help to break up the ghetto mentality that re-enforces cycles of low income behavior

Third, find a democrat and punch their lights outs. This is their fault. Just because it feels so good

Four, part of the first point would allow some manufacturing jobs to to return. Incentives could be given to companies to build in the US. This would not be an immediate help and would take time

Fifth; break the unions. At least brake the ones that rather than working to better the company and setting realistic wage and working goals insist upon an overtly confrontational us versus them approach. But remove all union pension benefits and place them in a single Federal Agency where they cannot be siphoned off for mob activities or democratic campaign contributions

Just my thoughts


28 posted on 07/30/2013 12:10:13 AM PDT by Fai Mao (Genius at Large)
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To: Cronos
While I agree with his idea in Starship Troopers that only veterans earn the franchise, can you imagine the howls if anyone ever proposed such a bill?
29 posted on 07/30/2013 12:11:43 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I aim to raise a million plus for Gov. Palin. What'll you do?.)
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To: Jonty30
What barriers? The only barriers that exist are within that person’s mind.

Life was not meant to free of obstacles or challenges but those are not impenetrable barriers.

30 posted on 07/30/2013 12:21:59 AM PDT by Ophiucus
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To: Cronos
NOBODY can make a career of flipping burgers at any fast food joint. Now, plenty of people made great careers from fast food joints. And quite a few of those folks didn't even know how to flip burgers when they first stepped into that world. But they learned. That is, if they stuck it out long enough to learn. Eventually they got past the mechanics of cooking, cleaning and serving, and began to get the basics of RUNNING a fast food joint.

How to run a crew, how to schedule diverse personalities, how to handle the cash, and how to budget, order, and plan with an aim of making the joint successful and you gain skills that ANYONE can sell.

These folks don't have to be Mensa members, nor do they have to be in the 100+ range of IQ. They first have to have gained these skills, and they have to be willing to show up every workday ready to do the work. Because this is work that needs to be done, whether it's for a fast food joint, or running a phone store, or sell tires, or any of a hundred other jobs that need to get done every single day. And these jobs DO pay more than minimum wage.

31 posted on 07/30/2013 12:27:14 AM PDT by Wingy
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To: Cronos
What do we do with these people?

Slavery. It is was welfare was designed to do, prepare and create the new slave class. A new slave class with the mentality and capability to do only the meanest and basest of society's chores, existing at the largess of the upper classes of society. A large number of science fiction novels over the last century have explored this historical destination.

32 posted on 07/30/2013 12:27:45 AM PDT by Ophiucus
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To: max americana

Well, at least a robot chef won’t get all disgruntled and spit on your food...


33 posted on 07/30/2013 12:37:33 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
2nd Div, Cronos:

“What do we do with the unemployed then?” Nothing really. With all their free time, they can spend most of it at the local library where there is unlimited free access to all the world's classic books. We can have a huge permanent, but spectacularly well-read unemployed class! We can have book clubs with regular discussion sessions everywhere.

Others can jog and bike and swim regularly. Triathlons will be available to everyone with their new fitness. Triathlons will even have age divisions so everyone can have a meaningful chance of competing for honors.

The people will be so happy and contented. I so look forward to that day soon.

Oldplayer

34 posted on 07/30/2013 12:37:39 AM PDT by oldplayer
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To: GeronL
No reason robots couldn’t replace these useless breathers.

You end up supporting them one way or another...

35 posted on 07/30/2013 12:38:57 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Loved that book, got a tattered 20yr old copy of it. Also love the concept, but I would include the police and firefighters that also put their lives on the line.


36 posted on 07/30/2013 12:50:49 AM PDT by mikefive (RLTW)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Hey fast food workers at $15 an hour, if you still have a job, you will be absolutely required to get our orders RIGHT.


37 posted on 07/30/2013 12:55:42 AM PDT by FreedomGuru (Without Life nothing else matters.)
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To: max americana

Why use Robots when you can hire kids and old people? They will work for $3 an hour and food. Maybe do a kick back system. Let them work three hour shifts—Part Time “Training wages” People want to work and will if given a chance. No need to pay $15 dollar wage to some greedy minority who thinks he’s worth it for breating air. Hire illegals—they will work and live in a room with 6 others to make it work.


38 posted on 07/30/2013 1:10:14 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Warehouse work is on the cusp of a revolution.

Amazon has a Seattle grocery warehouse where a fleet of robots actually pull multi-item orders from the shelves and deliver them to the proper loading dock.

Next job in danger?

Warehouse-to-warehouse long haul truckers.

39 posted on 07/30/2013 1:13:49 AM PDT by zeestephen
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I have a long-standing ongoing argument with a friend about the “living wage”. She just refuses to see that when a person’s minimum pay is set at some level, it prices them out of the market. She just believes (BELIEVES!!!) that the only reason that wages are set at the current level is because the corporations won’t raise them.

Of course, she’s a pastor and her wage is set by TPTB in her denomination rather than the amount of money brought into her congregation.


40 posted on 07/30/2013 1:23:14 AM PDT by Stegall Tx (Teaching part time and enjoying it. I just can't afford it!)
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