http://www.wral.com/fast-food-strikes-set-for-cities-nationwide/12829652/

$15/hr?

8/29/2013 10:39:22 AM

everyone feels entitled nowadays

8/29/2013 10:43:00 AM

Quote :

"“When I saw the strikes on TV earlier this summer in New York and Chicago, I said to my co-workers, 'We need to bring this to Durham,’” said Willieta Dukes"

of course you did.

8/29/2013 10:43:57 AM

Jesus some of my IT coworkers at entry level positions are making in the low 30's, with a degree. Hell, when I started in IT a few years ago I only made $24k!

8/29/2013 10:47:51 AM

My first job out of college was 29k, and have had a few contract jobs that REQUIRED a degree that paid 14/hr and 15/hr - what the eff are the people smoking? $10/hr max for the base employee or how the heck would these places make money and have prices that people are willing to pay for this garbage?

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 10:56 AM. Reason : /]

8/29/2013 10:55:11 AM

Quote :

"everyone feels entitled nowadays"

this. Supply and demand you fucking idiots. If you have a job that 90% of people can do just as well as you, don't expect a great wage. People are dumb, but the liberals encourage behavior like this so it's only getting worse.

8/29/2013 10:55:22 AM

8/29/2013 10:55:26 AM

$30k for 15 year olds.

8/29/2013 10:57:06 AM

The problem is not that person X, be they a fast food worker or IT professional, is paid too little.

The problem is that a significant percentage of said workers could be paid more without detrimentally changing the bottom line for their employers.

Just for fun, let's call it "WWJD?"

8/29/2013 10:58:58 AM

What's funny is that if these assholes can walk out of their jobs and they would be filled IMMEDIATELY - there are PLENTY of people that need a job ASAP.

^ Have you ever interacted with corporate execs? HAHAHAHAHA they would find you quite hilarious!

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 11:00 AM. Reason : /]

8/29/2013 10:59:06 AM

For $15/hr, I'd work at McDonald's while looking for another job. That's way more than unemployment.

8/29/2013 11:00:33 AM

Quote :

"The problem is not that person X, be they a fast food worker or IT professional, is paid too little. The problem is that a significant percentage of said workers could be paid more without detrimentally changing the bottom line for their employers."

The other problem is that there are a enough other persons willing to work for even less than person X

8/29/2013 11:01:43 AM

just imagine what a fast-food workers union would be like

8/29/2013 11:03:36 AM

^ That would be the BEST reality TV show EBBBAARRRRR!!!

8/29/2013 11:04:07 AM

Quote :

"Have you ever interacted with corporate execs? HAHAHAHAHA they would find you quite hilarious! "

Of course they would. They're greedy assholes.

Quote :

"The other problem is that there are a enough other persons willing to work for even less than person X"

Truth.

8/29/2013 11:04:11 AM

Quote :

"She makes $7.45 an hour, and has to work overnights because she can't afford child care during the day. Her mother watches her children during the night."

Quote :

"I'm a single parent of three"

8/29/2013 11:06:56 AM

I wonder if she went to public school, where talking about safe, effective birth control has been banned by the government?

THANKS, LESS GOVERNMENT PARTY!

8/29/2013 11:08:13 AM

^^ That really has nothing to do with this.

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 11:08 AM. Reason : /]

8/29/2013 11:08:29 AM

man

people really get off on shitting on those who may not be as well of as they are

8/29/2013 11:13:04 AM

I hate dismissing misguided arguments as stupid, but you're testing me, vinyl bandit

8/29/2013 11:14:17 AM

I feel entitled to 120k/yr just because I have a degree and it will not change the company's bottom line.

8/29/2013 11:15:12 AM

And some people get-off on shitting on people not as cool as them.

But recognizing that unskilled labor should be paid accordingly isn't really shitting on people.

8/29/2013 11:15:30 AM

The main issue here is thinning the gap between unskilled and skilled labor, thus making college educations less valuable.

8/29/2013 11:15:55 AM

but they are paid enough, if they weren't paid enough they wouldn't be able to staff fast food places. fast food places have no problem staffing up.

8/29/2013 11:16:47 AM

Sweatshops have no problem staffing up, either, but that doesn't mean they pay enough.

People are desperate for work, as noted earlier. That means they'll accept treatment that's less than what's normally acceptable.

8/29/2013 11:18:52 AM

Depending on the venue, 75%+ of these workers are employed by independent franchisees, which are small businesses, which would have a huge impact on the bottom line. Vinyl Bandit is ill-informed.

See Fermats post above

8/29/2013 11:20:11 AM

Quote :

"man people really get off on shitting on those who may not be as well of as they are"

8/29/2013 11:20:35 AM

Quote :

"People are desperate for work, as noted earlier. That means they'll accept treatment that's less than what's normally acceptable. "

right, which is why we should let those desperate people work

if you pay them $15 those desperate people will no longer have a job, since now they have to compete with all of the much more qualified people willing to work for $15/hour and simply won't be competitive enough to keep their job

8/29/2013 11:21:29 AM

Quote :

"but they are paid enough, if they weren't paid enough they wouldn't be able to staff fast food places. fast food places have no problem staffing up."

and McDonald's has a 150% turnover rate.

8/29/2013 11:22:11 AM

Is it "shitting on people" to believe that unskilled fast food empoloyees shouldn't be guaranteed $15/hr?

8/29/2013 11:22:21 AM

way to get fired and be even a bigger drain on our country

8/29/2013 11:23:03 AM

The most moral thing we could do is to remove minimum wage

8/29/2013 11:25:03 AM

I still got my Hardee's today.

8/29/2013 11:29:16 AM

Quote :

"75%+ of these workers are employed by independent franchisees, which are small businesses, which would have a huge impact on the bottom line"

True.

But how much higher are franchise fees and licensing costs than they need to be for the corporation to be healthy?

8/29/2013 11:31:02 AM

^completely agree but not relevant to this conversation at all

8/29/2013 11:33:16 AM

Sure it's relevant.

I understand that an independent franchisee can't afford to suddenly pay everyone 20% more, let alone 100% more, without going under.

But could the independent franchisee do so if the corporation above was only taking 6% of his profit instead of 14%?

8/29/2013 11:39:36 AM

This has been a good read. I think I'm going to hit up chick fila on the way home from work today.

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

8/29/2013 11:43:18 AM

^^please respond to this:

Quote :

"People are desperate for work, as noted earlier. That means they'll accept treatment that's less than what's normally acceptable. "

right, which is why we should let those desperate people work

if you pay them $15 those desperate people will no longer have a job, since now they have to compete with all of the much more qualified people willing to work for $15/hour and simply won't be competitive enough to keep their job

Basically, the issue is that increasing the salary won't raise the quality of life for these workers because they won't be qualified for their job anymore. If they are qualified to make $15/hr, then why aren't they somewhere else making $15/hr?

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 11:43 AM. Reason : ^^]

8/29/2013 11:43:45 AM

doubling your labor costs is a great way to go out of business regardless of your industry

8/29/2013 11:44:10 AM

^^ I recognize the necessary position that the poor hold in both the domestic and international economy. That doesn't mean I have to feel good about it.

8/29/2013 11:46:35 AM

well you at least don't need to be eager to kick them out of their jobs

8/29/2013 11:47:36 AM

Appreciating their conceit and encouraging the reality of enacting it are not the same thing.

8/29/2013 11:50:56 AM

I can see both sides of the argument, especially when you see what McDonald's Executives earned in 2012:

James A. Skinner/Former Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
$27,741,408

Donald Thompson/President and Chief Executive Officer
$13,751,919

Peter J. Bensen/Chief Financial Officer
$7,331,690

Timothy J. Fenton/Chief Operating Officer
$5,888,819

Janice L. Fields/Former President, McDonald's USA
$4,825,862

Douglas Goare/President, Mcdonald's Europe
$4,508,723

Gloria Santona/Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
$3,527,649

8/29/2013 11:51:29 AM

The gap between rich and poor is worse in the United States than most of the world. Amongst the 17 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the US has the worst income inequality. Whether you think that's a problem is up to you personally, but to me it definitely is.

8/29/2013 11:54:49 AM

i think its a huge problem, and a problem $15/hr for fast food workers would do nothing to fix

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 11:56 AM. Reason : because its not raising anyone up, its just changing who has the job]

8/29/2013 11:55:56 AM

The Fast Food industry has adopted a workforce model that has worked well for them for decades. Hire just about anyone willing to work for you, pay them minimum wage, when they quit/get fired hire someone else. Repeat. As long as people are willing to work for minimum wage, I can't see why they would want to change that model. Especially here in NC, where people can't live off their unemployment benefits anymore.

8/29/2013 12:02:10 PM

Quote :

"I'm Striking Because I Can Barely Afford To Eat On My McDonald's Salary"

Quote :

"McDonald's worker Nick Williams is one of thousands of fast food workers striking today to demand better wages. Williams started working as a cashier at an Indianapolis McDonald's in March 2012 making $7.25 an hour — the federal minimum wage. A year later, he was promoted to line cook and was given hourly pay of $8.25. Williams told Business Insider his take-home pay is just under $800 a month. While his job is nearly full-time, Williams, 28, says his schedule is always capped off at 38 or 39 hours per week, making him ineligible for insurance benefits. More than half of that goes to rent on the 2-bedroom apartment he shares with his chronically ill mother and disabled brother. The remaining $335 goes toward food, transportation and medical bills. "I work almost every day and am eager for any shift they give me," Williams said. "I do everything I can to be a hard worker. It's disheartening when you can't even make ends meet." Williams applied for food stamps, but was told his income was too high to qualify. Sometimes, his free employee meal at McDonald's is all he eats in a day. "Because I live with family, we pool our resources for groceries, but sometimes we have to go without," Williams said. "Sometimes I come home from work and there's no food in the house." The last time Williams treated himself to a movie, his favorite activity, was several months ago. He said he aspires to one day be able to go to the movies every weekend. Williams recently fell ill with a sinus infection and went to a doctor. His bills totaled $600—nearly a month's wages. Overtime is also out of the question. Part-time employees can be suspended for working more than 40 hours a week, Williams said. Williams said he became involved in the strike after learning that his employer made $5.5 billion in profits last year. He also learned his friend, a dishwasher at a small, locally-owned restaurant, makes a wage of $9.50 an hour — a wage he says sounded like a fortune. "I felt completely betrayed because billions of dollars are extra and the people who work at McDonald's aren't making enough to live," Williams told Business Insider. McDonald's CEO Don Thompson has defended his company's wages in the past. In an interview with Bloomberg TV in July, Thompson said his company is an "above minimum-wage employer." The striking workers are seeking a $15 hourly wage, but even that lofty increase wouldn't be enough for Williams to make ends meet. An adult with one child needs to make $17.81 an hour working full time in the Indianapolis area to afford food, housing, and lodging, according to advocacy group Stand Up Chicago. Williams is dubious about whether the strikes will be effective, but he isn't deterred. "Even if my company isn't receptive, my voice will be heard no matter what," Williams said. He's looking for a new job. "

http://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-worker-why-im-striking-2013-8

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 12:02 PM. Reason : ^ yup]

8/29/2013 12:02:14 PM

^^^^ Right we have witch doctors that provide free services, people in the street eating peg-peg (it however you spell it), welfare, wic ... the list can go on and on and on ... the point is that being poor in America is really not that bad in relative sense.

[Edited on August 29, 2013 at 12:03 PM. Reason : /]

8/29/2013 12:03:17 PM

dear dude with a part time job, stop complaining about working 39 hours and not getting benefits. go find a full time job.

also lol at not seeing a movie in several months. i haven't been in like 5 years.

8/29/2013 12:05:22 PM

These people should serve food to the homeless in beautiful metropolitan downtown Raleigh

8/29/2013 12:06:30 PM