Fast-Food Workers Strike As Their Productivity Falls

[crcballer55]

http://news.investors.com/business/...rkers-may-face-job-cuts.htm?ven=yahoocp,yahoo

Fast-food workers staging a nationwide walkout Thursday in what's expected to be the biggest-ever strike hope to get an hourly wage boost — but may face cuts instead.

Labor Department data released Thursday don't bode well for the strikers. Labor productivity dipped 0.1% in the food services and drinking places segment in 2012, as output rose 4.6% and hours 4.7%.

That means hours worked grew faster than per-hour output, suggesting the fast-food industry may have to cut back hours — or even workers.


AP View Enlarged Image

Fast-food chains could use more automation, include self-ordering kiosks, to reduce the need for labor. A spike in wages would only accelerate the trend.

Thursday's strike affects more than 50 cities across the U.S. including Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York, as workers lobby to earn $15 an hour and the right to form a union "without retaliation or unfair labor practices," according to an SEIU press release.

The median wage in Los Angeles, for instance, is $9 per hour and $11,232 annually, it said.

Earlier this summer, fast-food workers in seven cities staged walkouts.

"Our country's fastest growing jobs are also the lowest paid, slowing the recovery and hurting our local economy," the SEIU said. "While the fast food industry is making record profits, its workers are forced to rely on public assistance just to afford the basics."

Workers taking part in Thursday's strike include those from McDonald's, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell and Wendy's.

 

[mynameismyname]

$15/hr though? That's seems way too much especially for a fast food job that require minimal experience.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

I really don't get this. Maybe aim for a raise of minimum wage, bbt $15 for fast food workers?

Lets be real. Those jobs are so easily filled. No one's going to pay $15/hour for a job that takes so little skill.

People are delusional.

 

[the nomad]

 , half of them can't even spell "strike", which is why they work in fast food.

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

*Never returns to thread*

 

[rell826]

They'll never get $15 simply for the fact that a high schooler will take the job and have no problem with the hourly rate because it'll put weekend money in their pocket.

 

[nawghtyhare]

They'll never get $15 simply for the fact that a high schooler will take the job and have no problem with the hourly rate because it'll put weekend money in their pocket.

i think $10/hr is a fair amount for fast food workers

 

[hoosierdaddy317]

They'll never get $15 simply for the fact that a high schooler will take the job and have no problem with the hourly rate because it'll put weekend money in their pocket.

this. simple as that 

 

[joepac12]

Futile

 

[Air273]

if these jobs paid $15 an hour they would hire college kids first. they need to set their goal at $10 an hour. and no way should there be a union.

 

[rell826]

i think $10/hr is a fair amount for fast food workers

Definitely agree. I used to work in fast food in high school and I didn't last three months, because it was an extremely frustrating job as well as exhausting. If the kids I worked with weren't cool, I would have quit sooner.

 

[dmxgod]

Agree with a few posters above..10 dollars is extremely fair for an employee that works 35-40 hours a week..maybe if they work above 40 hours a week then it jumps to time and a half..

I would push for 11-12 dollars..i know a local McDonalds around Albany, NY that pays their employees $9.75 an hour STARTING..so 11-12 dollars an hour sounds reasonable to me to work in the fast food industry especially because your developing customer service skills, handling food all day, counting money (basic skill that many high schoolers and adults lack), and honestly it's a fast paced environment that gets many people frustrated as Rell said he was..

 

[harlemtothebronx]

The problem is these jobs are pretty much for young people who don't need to work to pay essential bills.

The economy has people trying to make a living in jobs that aren't in place for that purpose.

 

[artysm]

The problem is these jobs are pretty much for young people who don't need to work to pay essential bills.

The economy has people trying to make a living in jobs that aren't in place for that purpose.

Completely agree. Most of the interviews of these strikers I've seen complain about supporting a family on minimum wage. I can't sympathize for their poor choices they made earlier in life #adamcarollarant

 

[al audi]

Lol delusional is right.

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

Stvike!?!?

 

[dahuhuhyah]

The problem is these jobs are pretty much for young people who don't need to work to pay essential bills.

The economy has people trying to make a living in jobs that aren't in place for that purpose.

correct, but the majority fast food workers are older immigrants looking to make a honest living. I think 10 a hour is fair

 

[flacobey]

The problem is these jobs are pretty much for young people who don't need to work to pay essential bills.

The economy has people trying to make a living in jobs that aren't in place for that purpose.

Completely agree. Most of the interviews of these strikers I've seen complain about supporting a family on minimum wage. I can't sympathize for their poor choices they made earlier in life #adamcarollarant

I don't think it's fair to suggest they all made poor choices earlier in their life.

But $10/hr seems about right to me.

 

[picasso swerve]

$10 is more than fair.

Maybe service will be better.

 

[3am scholar]

$15 is a ridiculous expectation for a job that requires zero skill. It will never happen.

 

[Chopper]

They should be paid what the free market dictates. Point blank period.

Any pay raise they get will be passed on to the consumers via higher meal prices.

 

[mugen81]

 , half of them can't even spell "strike", which is why they work in fast food.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

*Never returns to thread*

Never laugh at somebody because you never know what you will have to resort to into in life, educated with degrees or not...
With that being said this is not going to happen and unfortunately I see alot of people getting fired tomorrow if it truly goes down..

 

[DeadsetAce]

They should be paid what the free market dictates. Point blank period.

this

 

[rillo561]

I also agree that $10 is fair, there's also a myth that these jobs are only for young people starting out. IDK about where you guys live, but around me there aren't many teenagers in these fast food jobs. Many are adults and most work two jobs.

I think it's a serious problem that these jobs don't pay a living wage, so they have to get public assistance and the taxpayers still end up having to foot the bill. Another myth going around they if you pay fast food workers more that you'll be paying $15 for a big mac meal, that's nothing but nonsense. Anyone remember when hamburgers and cheeseburgers @ McDonald were 25/35cents? How much do they cost now? To my knowledge the wages haven't increase that much, but the prices go up and the quality certainly doesn't justify the increase.

A lot of time people think it's a personal problem, but in reality it's a society problem. Corporate profits are soaring and wages have entered a 4th decade of stagnation, but hey, it's easier to beat up on the poor and 'unskilled'. I understand the world needs 'ditch diggers too' but they should be able to live on the wages they work for 40hours IMO.

 

[moonman818]

Of course all these cool guys in here who spend their parent's money on shoes can't relate.

15/hr isn't even that much money today.


SMH...

 

[a55a5in11]

if these guys get a $5 increase all its going to do is hurt the job market. people need to realize that higher wages means less jobs. the fact that minimum wage has increased $3 an hour in my state in 6 years is a joke