Fast Food Workers Want $15/hr

[Jovi Girl]

I would support ANY company paying good wages and providing healthcare to their employees. I go out of my way to avoid the companies that year employees like crud. We no longer buy Hostess snacks in our home, and my children understand. I cannot ever know how every company treats it`s employees, but I do try to find out. Sucks for people to work their butt off for very little pay and respect.

 

[longtallcold]

again, its not sneering or putting people down or looking down upon anyone - it boils down to WE WANT MORE PAY FOR DOING THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK do more, learn more, make yourself more valuable by doing the extras, learning a new skill (internet can teach you just about anything) if you WANT more, then GIVE more.


If you give your child lets say 10 dollars for doing 3 chores per week, and they came to you and said, I can't afford ________ and _______ on this 10 per week I want 20 for doing the same jobs, would you say ok? OR would you say ok I will pay you 20 per week if you also do these additional 3 chores?

 

[Roxye]

again, its not sneering or putting people down or looking down upon anyone - it boils down to WE WANT MORE PAY FOR DOING THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK do more, learn more, make yourself more valuable by doing the extras, learning a new skill (internet can teach you just about anything) if you WANT more, then GIVE more.


If you give your child lets say 10 dollars for doing 3 chores per week, and they came to you and said, I can't afford ________ and _______ on this 10 per week I want 20 for doing the same jobs, would you say ok? OR would you say ok I will pay you 20 per week if you also do these additional 3 chores?

That is EXACTLY what I told my son just today! IF you want to make more 'chore' money, then you have to do more chores!

I pay him 20 a week to take out the dogs once a day, take out the trash once a day and wash dishes for dinner. If he wants more money, he has to wash ALL the dishes.

 

[Charlie09]

I agree Melissa's Mom. As I said in an earlier post, there's an awful lot of spitefulness and hubris on display in this thread. As for what might constitute a fair wage, this is a starting point, as delineated by the Fair Minimum Wage Act:

The federal minimum wage has lost more than 30% of its value and would be more than $10.59 per hour today if it had kept pace with the cost of living over the past forty years.

http://www.raisetheminimumwage.com/pages/fair-minimum-wage-act-of-2013

I don't know what the "more than" would be, or how it would be determined, but even increasing to $10.59 per hour is a start. But no, lets just keep the minions in their place. After all, how would we be able to measure our own worth to society if not for our ability to sneer at the unwashed masses.....:facepalm::sigh:

So do you want 10 bucks an hour or 15 an hour, and why is 30 unreasonable if we're really just trying to give everyone something because they are human?
Because I fail to see how less than 2.00 an hour really improves life on a grand scale.
Most of the fast food employees are part time, so even 15 an hour isn't a big life improvement or make so you can afford a two bedroom instead of a one bedroom apt.

 

[Montjoy]

Respectfully snipped.

Just this sentence leaves me with many questions, and a few observations.

Is a 'grand scale' the issue?
If $2 per hour works out to a 20% (or more) wage increase, is that insignificant?
If a 20% wage increase would be an appealing benefit for someone who was making more money, would it be less valuable for some who was making less?


Aside from these questions, I wonder how many people reading this have worked in fast food. I have, and let me say (and just in my experience), all things considered, it is harder than all of the better paying jobs I have had since then.

Don't get me wrong -- some of my subsequent jobs have been riskier in some ways, and more taxing on expertise I didn't have when working my first job. I also had some good times in my fast food job, and made some good friends. But aside from these virtues, one cannot dispute that the pay and pay-scale is terrible; the work itself is totally unrewarding; the work is often smelly, dirty, and risky; the work has no value for most people; and rather than casting the employee as a diamond in the rough awaiting a better opportunity, the job casts the aura of a stigma, in which any worker who is not a child must be a loser.

McD's is only one company, but its profit last year was something in the range of 34 billion -- more than the GDP of many countries. On that alone, I'm hard pressed to see them as the victim in this debate.

 

[Charlie09]

Respectfully snipped.

Just this sentence leaves me with many questions, and a few observations.

Is a 'grand scale' the issue?
If $2 per hour works out to a 20% (or more) wage increase, is that insignificant?
If a 20% wage increase would be an appealing benefit for someone who was making more money, would it be less valuable for some who was making less?


Aside from these questions, I wonder how many people reading this have worked in fast food. I have, and let me say (and just in my experience), all things considered, it is harder than all of the better paying jobs I have had since then.

Don't get me wrong -- some of my subsequent jobs have been riskier in some ways, and more taxing on expertise I didn't have when working my first job. I also had some good times in my fast food job, and made some good friends. But aside from these virtues, one cannot dispute that the pay and pay-scale is terrible; the work itself is totally unrewarding; the work is often smelly, dirty, and risky; the work has no value for most people; and rather than casting the employee as a diamond in the rough awaiting a better opportunity, the job casts the aura of a stigma, in which any worker who is not a child must be a loser.

McD's is only one company, but its profit last year was something in the range of 34 billion -- more than the GDP of many countries. On that alone, I'm hard pressed to see them as the victim in this debate.

Why would McDonalds be seen as a victim anyway? But you're not taking into account, Corporate and Franchise are different parts of this puzzle.

If "the grand scale" wasn't the issue, no one would be talking about striking fast food workers who want to double their money with no extra skills, experience, or duties.

I worked in fast food when I was 16 and 17...practically 100 years ago, then I went to college, worked in temp offices, did the career stuff in HR, so the idea of asking for more money with no increased responsibilities doesn't make any sense to me. Diamonds in the rough are quickly noticed, and don't stay in the lowest paid positions.

 

[Roxye]

Why would McDonalds be seen as a victim anyway? But you're not taking into account, Corporate and Franchise are different parts of this puzzle.

If "the grand scale" wasn't the issue, no one would be talking about striking fast food workers who want to double their money with no extra skills, experience, or duties.

I worked in fast food when I was 16 and 17...practically 100 years ago, then I went to college, worked in temp offices, did the career stuff in HR, so the idea of asking for more money with no increased responsibilities doesn't make any sense to me. Diamonds in the rough are quickly noticed, and don't stay in the lowest paid positions.

This again is what my Papaw told me..... Work for what you are worth and eventually the pay will catch up.

A recent study showed that less then 5% of the american public make minimum wage. That means that even at an entry level job, you won't stay there long. If you try hard and do your job, you WILL get a raise.

 

[gitana1]

Why would McDonalds be seen as a victim anyway? But you're not taking into account, Corporate and Franchise are different parts of this puzzle.

If "the grand scale" wasn't the issue, no one would be talking about striking fast food workers who want to double their money with no extra skills, experience, or duties.

I worked in fast food when I was 16 and 17...practically 100 years ago, then I went to college, worked in temp offices, did the career stuff in HR, so the idea of asking for more money with no increased responsibilities doesn't make any sense to me. Diamonds in the rough are quickly noticed, and don't stay in the lowest paid positions.

I'm not sure what all the grand scale stuff means but aren't the workers saying that the minimum wage has not increased with the cost of living? If so, I have no doubt that's true.

But I guess the counter argument is that minimum wage jobs ate meant for teens and college kids- not for adults trying to support a family. I heard someone say something tO the effect of what choices led them at 30 to have no other option but fast food?

Of course in this economy, many people have no other options. Laid off from better paying jobs they now ate reduced to two or three minimum wage jobs. it's scary. I wish it was back to the days when kids had these jobs until they went off to something bigger and better.

 

[Charlie09]

I'm not sure what all the grand scale stuff means but aren't the workers saying that the minimum wage has not increased with the cost of living? If so, I have no doubt that's true.

But I guess the counter argument is that minimum wage jobs ate meant for teens and college kids- not for adults trying to support a family. I heard someone say something tO the effect of what choices led them at 30 to have no other option but fast food?

Of course in this economy, many people have no other options. Laid off from better paying jobs they now ate reduced to two or three minimum wage jobs. it's scary. I wish it was back to the days when kids had these jobs until they went off to something bigger and better.

Raising minimum wage nearly double from what it is now, will have a continued effect of job loss.

 

[Odyssey]

Aside from these questions, I wonder how many people reading this have worked in fast food. I have, and let me say (and just in my experience), all things considered, it is harder than all of the better paying jobs I have had since then.

Respectfully snipped.

Not exactly 'fast food', but I worked in a movie theater, and I started at minimum wage, cleaning up trash in the auditoriums after the movies let out. Then I was trained in the snack bar, so some days I would clean trash and other days I would serve food.

I eventually worked my way to a cashier, then moved to the box office, and eventually became a floor supervisor.

 

[Peliman]

Most people here could make more by offering child care on weekends for parents who wish to have a night or weekend without children. X amount of $ per 24hr period per head.

 

[Roxye]

My first job was at McDonald's. I was 15 and begged them to higher me. I was living on my own, going to school, and just trying to make extra money to support myself.

The manger tried, but couldn't higher me at 15, this was in 1991. When I turn 16 she used my year book photo to prove I was old enough to higher,

I made minimum wage. I worked my *advertiser censored* off.

I am now 38. If my son wanted a job, I would expect nothing less of him.

During my HS years I closed, worked hard hours and paid my dues. I was only paid minimum wage for 45 days upon hiring. Then I got 2 raises because I had proven myself.

Why do so many young people today seem to expect respect, instead of proving they are worthy of respect?

 

[cari]

This whole thing is all part of the entitlement mentality in this country. Minimum wage jobs were never meant to support a family. They are stepping stones to something better. Work harder, get more education, work two jobs, whatever but it is not the employers responsibility to make sure you can feed your family. Don't have kids you can't afford. I started out making minimum wage like everyone else, but I didn't stay there for long. I worked hard and passed by my coworkers who were calling off work and goofing off while they were at work. I didn't have kids until I could afford them. If I agreed to work for minimum wage I didn't whine that I got paid minimum wage. Flipping burgers and other entry level jobs are not worth more than minimum wage. If you want more money you have to become a bigger asset to the company. Honest to God, I have never had a problem moving up rapidly in any company I have worked for and I have no special talents or education. I have a high school diploma and I worked in retail. I started at the bottom making mimimum wage and worked hard to move up into management where I made enough to support my family and buy a house and everything else we need. I'm nothing special. If I can do it others can to, but they would rather demand more money for the same amount of work. Entitlement is all it is.

 

[Roxye]

Most people here could make more by offering child care on weekends for parents who wish to have a night or weekend without children. X amount of $ per 24hr period per head.

True! But how many of us would really TRUST someone else to take care of our kidlets? This is Websleuth, we see the worst of the worst. There is no way I would trust my kidlet with anyone other then a direct family member. Even then, I might have some hesitation.

 

[Elley Mae]

This whole thing is all part of the entitlement mentality in this country. Minimum wage jobs were never meant to support a family. They are stepping stones to something better. Work harder, get more education, work two jobs, whatever but it is not the employers responsibility to make sure you can feed your family. Don't have kids you can't afford. I started out making minimum wage like everyone else, but I didn't stay there for long. I worked hard and passed by my coworkers who were calling off work and goofing off while they were at work. I didn't have kids until I could afford them. If I agreed to work for minimum wage I didn't whine that I got paid minimum wage. Flipping burgers and other entry level jobs are not worth more than minimum wage. If you want more money you have to become a bigger asset to the company. Honest to God, I have never had a problem moving up rapidly in any company I have worked for and I have no special talents or education. I have a high school diploma and I worked in retail. I started at the bottom making mimimum wage and worked hard to move up into management where I made enough to support my family and buy a house and everything else we need. I'm nothing special. If I can do it others can to, but they would rather demand more money for the same amount of work. Entitlement is all it is.

Welcome to Websleuths!

Thank you for seeing this for what it is.

 

[Elley Mae]

True! But how many of us would really TRUST someone else to take care of our kidlets? This is Websleuth, we see the worst of the worst. There is no way I would trust my kidlet with anyone other then a direct family member. Even then, I might have some hesitation.

You are so, so right. Always be on guard. And never think for one minute that you can trust family, and always have a very open relation with your kidlets about NOT keeping secrets.

 

[cari]

Are people not owed the dignity of a fair wage that they can support themselves and their families on, simply for the fact that they're fellow human beings?

No, they are not. That is entitlement. You are owed what you agree to work for. If you want more money then be worth more to the company. Simple as that. Who decides what a "fair" wage is? The business gets to decide that. They are the ones running the business and figuring the expenses and what an employee's job is worth to the company. If you want someone to mow your lawn don't you pay based on how much the job is worth to you? Or do you pay based on how many kids or pets or whatever, they are trying to support? If no one wants to do it for the price you are willing to pay then you have to decide if you are willing to pay more, do it yourself, or not have it done. Why is a business responsible for making sure you make enough to feed your children? Don't have them until you are not making minimum wage anymore.

 

[Roxye]

You are so, so right. Always be on guard. And never think for one minute that you can trust family, and always have a very open relation with your kidlets about NOT keeping secrets.

Family sometimes is the worst. My son knows about 'bad' touching. He knows that Mom will believe him no matter what! My son and I have a very open relationship. More parents should have the same relationship!

 

[Gardenlady]

No, they are not. That is entitlement. You are owed what you agree to work for. If you want more money then be worth more to the company. Simple as that. Who decides what a "fair" wage is? The business gets to decide that. They are the ones running the business and figuring the expenses and what an employee's job is worth to the company. If you want someone to mow your lawn don't you pay based on how much the job is worth to you? Or do you pay based on how many kids or pets or whatever, they are trying to support? If no one wants to do it for the price you are willing to pay then you have to decide if you are willing to pay more, do it yourself, or not have it done. Why is a business responsible for making sure you make enough to feed your children? Don't have them until you are not making minimum wage anymore.

As a starting point - is there anything that you *do* think people are deserving of, simply as a matter of being fellow human beings?

Think like, the concept of human rights. Is there anything at all, say food, shelter, living wage, health care, etc, that you would be okay with saying "Yes, simply because of the dignity inherent in each human person, this is something we all deserve"?

(Trying to find a common starting point is all)

 

[Peliman]

True! But how many of us would really TRUST someone else to take care of our kidlets? This is Websleuth, we see the worst of the worst. There is no way I would trust my kidlet with anyone other then a direct family member. Even then, I might have some hesitation.

Hi Roxye,

I understand what you're saying but I'm speaking strictly business. While it is a matter of trust and reliability in business terms you want the people who will pay for the service. Just like many people don't eat fast food but there's enough who do to keep fast food in business. Weekend overnight child care can bring in a great extra income for those who need it while staying at home.