Posted on 08/29/2013 5:39:08 PM PDT by RedStateGuyTrappedinCT
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fast-food workers and their supporters beat drums, blew whistles and chanted slogans Thursday on picket lines in dozens of U.S. cities, marking the largest protests yet in their quest for higher wages.
The nationwide day of demonstrations came after similar actions organized by unions and community groups over the past several months. Workers are calling for the right to unionize without interference from employers and for pay of $15 an hour. That's more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, or $15,000 a year for full-time employees.
Thursday's walkouts and protests reached about 60 cities, including New York, Chicago and Detroit, organizers said. But the turnout varied significantly. Some targeted restaurants were temporarily unable to do business because they had too few employees, and others seemingly operated normally.
Ryan Carter, a 29-year-old who bought a $1 cup of coffee at a New York McDonald's where protesters gathered, said he "absolutely" supported the demand for higher wages.
"They work harder than the billionaires in this city," he said. But Carter said he didn't plan to stop his regular trips to McDonald's.
Jobs in low-wage industries have led the economic recovery. Advocates for a higher minimum wage say that makes it crucial that they pay enough for workers who support families.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
The Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 2 million workers in health care, janitorial and other industries, has been providing financial support and training for local organizers in the fast-food strikes around the country.
Is anyone else sick to death of the political ju-jitsu and slight of hand practiced by the community organizer. We're being subjected to this nonsense while Barry dithers his way into another middle eastern war.
If they unionize and get $15.00 I will never eat at a McDonalds ever again I don’t think I would be able to afford it.
Jobs in low-wage industries have led the economic recovery.
Am I wrong or did we hear all through the Bush years (even during Bush I and Reagan), that their economies and low unemployment rates were all because ,"The jobs being created are all burger flippers and Wal-Mart greeters".
Now they want us to cheer The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayres on this so called "recovery".
A Dems round about way of destroying that Evil Fast food
Can’t wait to see how big their protests will be when they’re all fired and replaced with robots
And like some of the other FReepers have already said, I will not patronize a union fast-food place. No sir. Commies.
And they would have to cut the quality of their ingredients further - you wouldn't want to eat what they could afford to sell.
This is some of the most asinine thinking that I have heard in a long time. You don’t achieve prosperity by legislating higher wages. You achieve prosperity by being more productive per dollar of input. This proposal to double fast food workers does the exact opposite.
Robots that are more efficient, polite, and make correct change
You’re exactly right about robots and automation. There exist machines NOW that can build a perfect hamburger, to order, without human intervention. $15.00/hr and unionization? Sorry, you’re outta here, slacker. Bring in the Burgerbot.
The blacks are going to be very upset — they dine there frequently. Case of “women and minorities hit the hardest”.
I suppose Mr. Ryan Carter regularly sits in on business deals with billionaires and knows how hard they work. Sure, I bet all billionaires never took any risks or worked very hard for their money. Maybe Carter can be charitable and donate more of his money to the unfortunates. (snicker)
Almost to a person, in every protest, the ‘protesters’ are not employees of the location where the protest is at, almost every single one isn’t involved in fast food service, and all of them desperately want to nail the paychecks of these ‘poor’ people. Because if those employees think they are poor now, try after the union gets ahold of them.
Oh, and none of it actually has to do with better working conditions (American fast food is probably the easiest of food operations to be in), better hours (well, yes, part time, but thank Obama and the other nanny staters who have required benefits for full time workers...), vacations (why yes, you too can not get paid for public holidays rather than enjoying the time and a half you had before), etc.
Worst would be if some restaurant caved and gave the whole shop away, platinum health care (actually, minimal health care, but the union collects the fees as if it were better...), loads of days off, higher wages, full time employment (bye bye college jobs) and an end to quick turnover in the food industry.
OH! Right, see, that’s the thing. Due to turn over, most food service jobs see three employees per year. With unions, it will be one per decade. That’s 29 job opportunities lost for worse service, VASTLY higher prices, and lowered quality.
Yep, yep, enjoy that dollar coffee while you advocate for a $5 cup instead, morons...
The law of unintended consequences would kick these people very hard in their hindquarters.
It's that simple.
I heard a number of the protesters interviewed and NONE of them worked for any fast food company, they were just there for support.
Anyone know if ‘In ‘N Out’ was struck - ?
I’m thinkng no - they are very good to their employees.
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