McDonald's employees want $15/hour

PreachersWife2004 said:

8 years in the same position with no raise seems to point in that direction, but I personally wouldn't have chosen the phrase Miss Incompetent.

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I know. I'm supposed to say Ms. Incompetent, now.

Let them raise the minimum for McDonald's workers to $15/hr. Or $20, or $50.

I'd love to see McDonald's raise it's wages to unsustainable levels. Perhaps with the accompanying rise in the prices of it's junk food, they wouldn't keep popping up EVERYWHERE.

/rant. Yes, the small but growing town I live in is just now in the process of building it's first McDonald's. I'm not happy.

Calvinator said:

Let them raise the minimum for McDonald's workers to $15/hr. Or $20, or $50.

I'd love to see McDonald's raise it's wages to unsustainable levels. Perhaps with the accompanying rise in the prices of it's junk food, they wouldn't keep popping up EVERYWHERE.

/rant. Yes, the small but growing town I live in is just now in the process of building it's first McDonald's. I'm not happy.

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Then don't eat at the establishment. Others though may be happy being able to eat at that establishment.

pgp_protector said:

Then don't eat at the establishment. Others though may be happy being able to eat at that establishment.

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Easier said than done. One of the problems with the mega big fast food corporations like McDonald's is that smaller establishments tend to disappear eventually from the scene. They don't have either the advertising $$ or the financial resources to stay established once one of these mega fast food chains arrive.

What once was a choice of various establishments to buy food when you're out becomes a choice of McD's, Burger King or KFC, with the occasional overpriced Chinese outlet or cafe that is just struggling to survive due to decreased customers. Choice of venue to eat out becomes a lot more limited and less affordable unless one is willing to follow the ever widening masses streaming into places like McDonald's that can undercut their competition with cheaper food.

Population of Germany: 82,329,758 (July 2010 est.)
Unemployment Rate in Germany: 6.5% (or 5,351,434 people)

Population Of the United States: 311,591,917 (July 2011 est.)
Unemployment Rate In USA: 7.7% * (or 23,992,577 People)

* doesn't count the unemployed no longer collecting unemployment.

Do the math.
US unemployment versus German Unemployment...USA has 18,641,143 more folks OFFICIALLY unemployed then Germany, the USA also taxes LESS then Germany.

Calvinator said:

Easier said than done. One of the problems with the mega big fast food corporations like McDonald's is that smaller establishments tend to disappear eventually from the scene. They don't have either the advertising $$ or the financial resources to stay established once one of these mega fast food chains arrive.

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How can anything be easier than not eating at McDonalds?

If there's nowhere else to eat out, don't eat out at all. Seriously. It's not as if the world will end if you don't eat out, and if people gripe and moan with their mouths but then plod along and hand over their money, why should the corporation care about the moaning?

Just about everybody I know socially knows my stance on McDonalds (i.e. that I absolutely, positively, will not eat there no matter what).

Not too keen on McDonalds myself...Give me Taco Bell Anyday!

PreachersWife2004 said:

8 years in the same position with no raise seems to point in that direction, but I personally wouldn't have chosen the phrase Miss Incompetent.

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That's pretty presumptuous.

According to the article, she's a wife, mother, and nursing student. There isn't a lot of room for advancement at a fast food restaurant, aside from going into a management track, which often requires longer hours and more availability - something a mother and student isn't going to have.

Is Eric Hibbert the guy who said he'd fire his employees for voting for Obama?

-Dan.

iluvatar5150 said:

That's pretty presumptuous.

According to the article, she's a wife, mother, and nursing student. There isn't a lot of room for advancement at a fast food restaurant, aside from going into a management track, which often requires longer hours and more availability - something a mother and student isn't going to have.

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So why is that the company's fault? If she suddenly deserves more money for being a mother she can look forward to being laid off and replaced by someone with no kids who will do the exact same job for less money.

Maybe she should consider working somewhere else if she wants more money and her current job doesn't give her any opportunities for advancement.

iluvatar5150 said:

That's pretty presumptuous.

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I'm just following the indicators. I'm not making any judgments here

According to the article, she's a wife, mother, and nursing student. There isn't a lot of room for advancement at a fast food restaurant, aside from going into a management track, which often requires longer hours and more availability - something a mother and student isn't going to have.

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I'm a mom, too, and a student. I work full time at Home Depot and in the last two years I've gone from working part time to full time, from being a floor associate to the Front End Manager and now I manage the paint and the electrical dept. All while being a mom to four kids and going to school full time. I am working towards upper management within Home Depot. I have a plan for my advancement. If I do not advance, it will be because of me, not the company.

Is Eric Hibbert the guy who said he'd fire his employees for voting for Obama?

-Dan.

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Who cares?

contango said:

So why is that the company's fault?

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Any job ought to pay its employees enough to survive. Minimum wage barely meets that standard anywhere, and certainly not in Manhattan.

Maybe she should consider working somewhere else if she wants more money and her current job doesn't give her any opportunities for advancement.

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She's going to nursing school.

PreachersWife2004 said:

I'm just following the indicators. I'm not making any judgments here

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Yes you are.

I'm a mom, too, and a student. I work full time at Home Depot and in the last two years I've gone from working part time to full time, from being a floor associate to the Front End Manager and now I manage the paint and the electrical dept. All while being a mom to four kids and going to school full time. I am working towards upper management within Home Depot. I have a plan for my advancement. If I do not advance, it will be because of me, not the company.

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Great. Good for you. But her situation is not the same as yours.

Who cares?

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I do. There are a number of posters on this board who either enjoy trolling or are so far off the deep end that they're not worth responding to. I don't always remember who is who.

-Dan.

iluvatar5150 said:

Any job ought to pay its employees enough to survive. Minimum wage barely meets that standard anywhere, and certainly not in Manhattan.

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Then get a job that pays more than minimum wage.

She's going to nursing school.

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So you think employers should pay workers who are going to school more just because they're going to school?

That's a bit wonky. I can see where they might help with tuition if you're studying in the field that you're working in, but other than that, you make the choice to go to school and work.

Yes you are.

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Um, no I'm not. I just showed what the indicators are. Show me where I've said she was a bad worker.

Great. Good for you. But her situation is not the same as yours.

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Whether it's the same or not, the factors are the same. She doesn't get a raise for being a parent, or being a student. It doesn't work that way.

I do. There are a number of posters on this board who either enjoy trolling or are so far off the deep end that they're not worth responding to. I don't always remember who is who.

-Dan.

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What I meant was, what does it matter in this thread? So what if he wants to fire his employees for voting for Obama? Really has nothing to do with making minimum wage at McDs.

jsimms615 said:

so, if Big Mac's suddenly go up $5 in price we now know why.

Seriously, I wonder why she couldn't try to become a manager if she wants to get paid more?

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Agreed. I can't see how Mc D's in still in business. Toys or not, there foods not good.

Billnew said:

Workers protest at New York McDonald's - Nov. 29, 2012

minimum wage for 8 yrs? She can find no job that will give her a raise above high school student part time workers after 8 yrs? The median hourly rate shows either this woman is being taken advantage of or is a problem worker.(late, calls off, doesn't do work properly)

They want a $6 an hour raise?
Minimum wage is for people starting out or people that can't prove themselves more valuable to their employees.

Hint; if you work for minimum wage, find every way possible to make yourself more valuable to your employer. Special training, work extra, show up on time when scheduled, go to college/Tech school for a career not fluff classes.
A masters degree in non-career category is not overly beneficial or profitable to the person hiring employees. It shows you stuck it out, but it offers nothing to the company except possibly a dedicated employee.

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If Hostess doesn't inform against unionizing McDonald's nothing else stands a chance.
The problem in an employee who has been with a McDonald's for 8+ years and hasn't moved on to a better job, or achieved a higher position with the company isn't minimum wage. It's a minimal effort on the part of the employee who seems to be quite content in underachievement.

Caesars Ghost said:

It's a minimal effort on the part of the employee who seems to be quite content in underachievement.

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I agree, I've seen people work at fast food, then get more money after working for awile, even getting a higher position.

PreachersWife2004 said:

Then get a job that pays more than minimum wage.

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She's trying to get her current job to pay more than that.

So you think employers should pay workers who are going to school more just because they're going to school?

That's a bit wonky. I can see where they might help with tuition if you're studying in the field that you're working in, but other than that, you make the choice to go to school and work.

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Now you're arguing just to argue - or you missed my point. I was addressing earlier comments suggesting that if she want to make more, she ought to try getting a job somewhere else. My response was that she IS - she's going to nursing school.

Um, no I'm not. I just showed what the indicators are. Show me where I've said she was a bad worker.

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Your exact words were "8 years in the same position with no raise seems to point in that direction" ("that direction" suggesting that the moniker of "Ms Incompetent" was accurate).

You made a value judgment about her.

Frankly, that an employer (particularly a busy restaurateur) pays minimum wage (w/ no tips) in Manhattan says more to me about the employer than it does about his employees.

Regarding minimum wage, I think Chris Rock says it pretty well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtjTRTKHDjg

Whether it's the same or not, the factors are the same. She doesn't get a raise for being a parent, or being a student. It doesn't work that way.

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Ok, you're arguing just for the sake of arguing.

How about arguing against the points I've made, instead of ones you've imagined I've made? I never said she should get extra pay for being a mother or a student. I brought up those point to combat the accusations that the reason she hasn't been promoted is due to her laziness and/or incompetence. On the contrary, there aren't many avenues for advancement in a McDonald's (particularly a small one), and they'd most likely require bigger time commitments - commitments that she may not be able to make with her family and school demands.

What I meant was, what does it matter in this thread? So what if he wants to fire his employees for voting for Obama? Really has nothing to do with making minimum wage at McDs.

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On this board, I've participated in discussions on race with people who believe the Bible forbids interracial relationships, discussions on science with people who don't believe that black holes exist, discussions on photographic evidence for 9/11 conspiracies with people who've never used a camera, and discussions on business/labor policy with people who don't think it's managements' responsibility to respond to changing market demands.

I'm tired of arguing with wackjobs and other people who have no flipping idea what they're talking about and no desire to learn.

A person who would fire his employees for voting for Obama is not a rational person interested in reasonable discussion. I asked about Eric, because I wanted to know if I'd be wasting my breath.

-Dan.

Billnew said:

Companies offer jobs to the unhirable, those with almost no job skills, that is what minimum wage is. There is a huge need for these jobs. They teach the worker how to improve, how to show up and do a job, get better, thus make themselves more valuble to the company.
Once proven they will give them a raise.
Our economy is bad, but I believe there are jobs out there for workers, above minimum wage. If you have worked at a job for minimum wage for more then 6 months, a year at most, and you haven't got a raise, then work on your Resume and seek better employer or ask your boss why you haven't been given a raise. It could be an oversite, it could be that you aren't worth the raise.
Open any newspaper in the country that has jobs listing, there are jobs out there, and some are entry level, not necessarily minimum wage either.
If you sit around doing nothing for minimum wage, don't expect more money for nothing.

Just breathing and showing up for work when you feel like it, doesn't mean you should get a raise.

BTW high school students are still getting jobs, so people are hiring.
Big mac going up to $5? For $15/hr, I'm betting triple current rate, so $8-$10 each. Which would be more expensive then alot of sit down resturants that serve better food, and better for you. Of course, when a lowly McDonald's employee makes $15, then why would someone work at a better job for less?
So everyone would expect a raise to be that step above the uneducated (no specialty) McDonald's employee.

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That's a pretty snobbish attitude towards people who help make one of America's great corporations function on a day to day basis. Do you think the workers are beneath you just because you think the work is beneath you?

Pssst, Caesars Ghost. Your title:

"Do ten millipedes equal one centipede?"

has it backwards milli means thousand, centi means hundred.

USincognito said:

Pssst, Caesars Ghost. Your title:

"Do ten millipedes equal one centipede?"

has it backwards milli means thousand, centi means hundred.

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That's not backwards... there's 10 millimeters in a centimeter.

A millimeter is 1/1000 of a meter... a centimeter is 1/100.

Time to brush up on your Metric

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN said:

I agree, I've seen people work at fast food, then get more money after working for awile, even getting a higher position.

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I worked at a McDonalds just after I got out of High School... started at $8 and within a year I was making $10 and took over as night shift manager. A friend I worked with is still there 10 years later and is store manager of the local wal-mart branch. There is opportunity for advancement if you put the work in, but it's not going to get handed to you.

There was also a number of employees who stayed pretty well at minimum wage if they had issues being late, missing shifts or had problems on the job.

It's difficult to fire a bad employee outside of something like catching them stealing. So, if you keep their wages down, you hope they eventually leave on their own. My guess is that's what is going on in this case.