Union activists' message doesn't register with fast-food workers (McDonalds yesterday)

[Omaha Steve]

No anti uion activity but "Management types were at the registers, and the security detail appeared to outnumber the activists". Photo at link.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/1339402,CST-FIN-mcdonalds19.article

December 19, 2008
BY CHERYL V. JACKSON [e-mail]

While placing her order at the 600 N. Clark McDonald's on Thursday afternoon, Rosa Salto was intent on educating the server about his employer. She stressed that McDonald's chief executive makes about 770 times what the cashier is making and that the corporation wanted to keep unions out of its shops.

"Did you know that? ... Are you OK with that?" the representative of the Service Employees International Union pushed.

Restaurant workers played it straight, not acknowledging the questions posed by Salto and about 25 other union representatives. It was one of about 60 such actions at McDonald's restaurants across the country, responding to reports of a November memo the Oak Brook-based corporation sent to its franchisees encouraging opposition to proposed legislation that would have workers certify a union by signing a card, not by a secret ballot election.

Critics say the measure could make workers susceptible to union coercion, but backers say it would give unions a fighting chance in a system that favors employers.

William Whitman Jr., spokesman for McDonald's U.S. operation, said the memo was intended to "inform and educate our system about legislation that could impact their business."

"McDonald's doesn't have any anti-union activity going on in our restaurants," Whitman said. "It's business, as usual, for our restaurants today."

Thursday's awareness action in Chicago had unions attempting to pass leaflets to workers. Management types were at the registers, and the security detail appeared to outnumber the activists.