Hundreds march at McDonald's HQ over low wages

Mr Nice · May 21, 2015

Why don't these workers get an education or learn a skill that will allow them to make a better living ?

I'm currently looking to hire someone with an associates degree and starting pay is $24-25 an hour with full benefits. Corporate America does want to pay unskilled workers $15 an hour to flip burgers or be a cashier. Silly that folks don't realize the franchise owners can't afford to increase their payroll for unskilled workers. No way customers will pay $10 for BigMac combo.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/supporters-15-hour-wage-attend-mcdonalds-meeting-31171401

dlundblad · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
No way customers will pay $10 for BigMac combo.

I've used that argument before too, but apparently people think the price of a #1 meal wont change..

WiskyBadger · May 21, 2015

Maybe they should use their time for schooling or getting into a trade. Would be a much better use of time.

aquariuscsm · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
I'm currently looking to hire someone with an associates degree and starting pay is $24-25 an hour with full benefits.

I'm curious,what does the associate's degree have to be in and what position are you hiring for?

d00df00d · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Why don't these workers get an education or learn a skill that will allow them to make a better living ?

Probably because they can't afford to work less while shelling out money for their education.

splinter · May 21, 2015

What a coincidence. I’ve refused to do business with McDonald’s for years owing to its unhealthy products.

Convenient for potty breaks on extended road trips though.

montero1 · May 21, 2015

Hopefully, no drugstores get burned down...

dlundblad · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Why don't these workers get an education or learn a skill that will allow them to make a better living ?

Probably because they can't afford to work less while shelling out money for their education.

Student loans, grants, scholarships etc?

OneEyeJack · May 21, 2015

One politician said that corporations like McDonald's should be forced to take the increase in wages out of their profits. He said that he would be willing to author a bill that would do just that. This explains why politicians are politicians. Getting a job where they'd have to do something useful and face the real world to earn a living just would'n work.

CT8 · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: splinter
What a coincidence. I’ve refused to do business with McDonald’s for years owing to its unhealthy products.

Convenient for potty breaks on extended road trips though.

Mcdonalds foods taste like cooked plastic. Vending machine food is better than Mcdonalds food.

4D-56 · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Why don't these workers get an education or learn a skill that will allow them to make a better living ?

With respect, this is an easy, common and inadequate response to a great and growing issue in this country.

There's way more to it than people like me (white & privileged) expecting them to "get an education" and get paid more. Im really not smart enough to lay it all out in simple terms but these people (predominantly people of color) have a harder time.

Why should anyone that works 40+ hours have to still struggle??...they are part of a growing group called the working poor.

From a site that I just pulled up on McDonalds 1st qt earnings in 2015:
"Return of $1.4 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases"

As for the franchise owners, how much are they making?...how much do these shareholders and franchise owners NEED to make....its back to the same thing, greed and a system of unfettered capitalism that will create more demonstrations, each one bigger than the last. Good on "em I say.

The minimum wage has basically gone down since its been frozen for almost 6 years. We all know that most others things are getting more expensive.

"Silly that folks don't realize the franchise owners can't afford to increase their payroll for unskilled workers." How do we know that??

Apparently their sales are down, I should hope so, they make food that nobody should eat!

4D-56 · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Why don't these workers get an education or learn a skill that will allow them to make a better living ?

Probably because they can't afford to work less while shelling out money for their education.

Student loans, grants, scholarships etc?

Student loans? an easy answer and another joke (on the part of the students) since, as quoted by Senator Elizabeth Warren over a year ago: "The [student] loans from 2007 to 2012 [loan portfolio] are on track; right now, to produce 66 BILLION dollars in profits for the United States government."

simple_gifts · May 21, 2015

Privitized profits and socialized risks are a bad combo.

You end up paying for it one way or another.

Burt · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: stro_cruiser
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Why don't these workers get an education or learn a skill that will allow them to make a better living ?

With respect, this is an easy, common and inadequate response to a great and growing issue in this country.

From a site that I just pulled up on McDonalds 1st qt earnings in 2015: "Return of $1.4 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases"

As for the franchise owners, how much are they making?...how much do these shareholders and franchise owners NEED to make

"Silly that folks don't realize the franchise owners can't afford to increase their payroll for unskilled workers." How do we know that??

Apparently their sales are down, I should hope so, they make food that nobody should eat!

I find your response equally easy, common and inadequate, if not more so. You do realize that if restaurant wages go up, prices go up and people can't afford to eat out as much, so some workers get more and lose their jobs? And some weaker franchises go under. Its not the rich people that are eating at McDonald's for the most part.

And you talk like paying dividends and share buybacks are a bad thing? Please answer your question about franchise owners and shareholders - how much are they making vs what they ought to make? If they do well by your definition, do you take it away? What happens when they do poorly? Sorry Charlie?

Do you in your career do better in some years than others? Please tell us what your criteria is for giving the surplus back and let us decide for you if that is the right decision.

Burt · May 21, 2015

simple_gifts said:
Privitized profits and socialized risks are a bad combo.
]
You end up paying for it one way or another.[/quote}

Per Maggie Thatcher "the problem with socialism is that before too long you run out of other peoples' money."

spasm3 · May 21, 2015

The market does not support it. These are basically entry level minimal skill jobs in a low cost low quality food market. The jobs are not designed to be for a long career.
Why should someone demand higher pay when you flip burgers or push the cheeseburger button. No real physical demands, no real education skills needed, and no shortage of workers.

I'm not knocking those who do that, its just that the job skills don't warrant a higher rate of pay.

simple_gifts · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: Burt

simple_gifts said:
Privitized profits and socialized risks are a bad combo.
]
You end up paying for it one way or another.[/quote}

Per Maggie Thatcher "the problem with socialism is that before too long you run out of other peoples' money."

Socialized doesn't mean socialism.

I notice I pay over $1750 a year to educate other's children; I have never had kids; is that also socialism?

Burt · May 21, 2015

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Originally Posted By: Burt

simple_gifts said:
Privitized profits and socialized risks are a bad combo.
]
You end up paying for it one way or another.[/quote}

Per Maggie Thatcher "the problem with socialism is that before too long you run out of other peoples' money."

Socialized doesn't mean socialism.

I notice I pay over $1750 a year to educate other's children; I have never had kids; is that also socialism?

Paying taxes to fund education is not socialism. Funding public schools rather than through a voucher system is socialism.

Joe1 · May 21, 2015

These jobs were never intended to be "careers". If the workers seek a higher wage, they can present a clean appearance, offer excellent service, show up on time, be a team player and work their way into a management position.

I have the misfortune of working in NYC on occasion. The price of fast food there is very steep so I usually pack my own lunch. If fast food prices escalate from wage increases, I will pack my own lunch 100% of the time and they will get zero business from me.

Trajan · May 21, 2015

Henry Ford had many, many, people giving him grief over the $5 day. Business leaders, newspapers, they all predicted dire consequences.

They were all wrong.

Hundreds march at McDonald's HQ over low wages

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