The McJobs Strike Back: Will Fast-Food Workers Ever Get a Living Wage?

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/the-mcjobs-strike-back-will-fast-food-workers-ever-get-a-living-wage/274645/

On November 29, 2012, 200 workers from McDonald's and other cheap restaurants went on strike. Today, they're back. But is their cause doomed from the start?


Sarah Jaffe Apr 4 2013, 8:05 AM ET



Edwin Guzman already lost his job once for union-organizing. But today, he and several hundred fast food workers across New York City are on strike anyway.

A few weeks ago, an organizer with the Fast Food Forward campaign, begun by New York Communities for Change (NYCC) and supported by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and other labor and community groups walked into the Burger King in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where Guzman works. He had a petition with him, calling for a raise to $15-an-hour and union recognition for the workers. Guzman and some of his colleagues signed.

Not long afterward, he had to take a couple of days off for a court date--he was being evicted from his apartment, in part because of his steadily decreasing hours and low pay at his job. Like most of the city's fast food workers, he makes just $7.25 an hour and struggles with irregular scheduling. When he returned to work, his supervisor called him in to talk.

"He told me he had to let me go," Guzman explained. "He felt like I disrespected him. He felt violated that I signed the petition."

FULL story at link.

[Omaha Steve]

1. Kick

[SoCalDem]

2. No.

Franchise fast food "stores" are there to satisfy the desire for mass calories/least cost. the very model of a franchise food store is about making money for the franchise-holder. It's NOT about anything else.

The way you make MORE money is to pay the least possible for labor..schedule them light enough to NOT trigger benefits, or offer them benefits you know they cannot afford to participate in.

For every disgruntled employee who quits, there are probably 20 who will gladly slip on that apron.