Fast Food Employees Protesting Wages - WSJ Opinion

Assistant editor Sohrab Ahmari on New York City's fast-food workers' walk-out. Photos: Getty Images

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[TechnologyTidbits]

You're exactly right.

Thank you.

[nickodemus]

Yeah, my Dad worked in a factory and my Mom was a waitress. I worked in car washes, factories and as a busboy all while in high school. Then joined the Army and went to Vietnam. Sound easy to you now?

[ThCakeIsALie]

I think they all should get FIRED! It's not a union job.

Want to get paid more? STOP WORKING AT LOW PAYING JOBS!

[duneovid]

$15 for flipping burgers? Never going to happen. With the current job market, all of these people unhappy about their wage could be easily replaced by those happy to have those jobs. Game over.

[ReaperStrain]

Oh, and then there's the fact that I've been there for almost several years now, and I still haven't seen an increase in pay, yet (the reason they gave one guy at my job was that food costs were too high, and when it was down for an "x" amount of time, then, and only then, would the company think of looking at him for a "slight" pay raise. I don't think he ever got it. Then on top of that, you have mystery shoppers stopping by randomly to secretly judge your performance, and that can effect...

[luiswhatshisname]

Exactly. Supply and demand. Workers are not willing to supply their labor at that price, employers are still demanding their work. Employers could just decrease their demand by closing and automating or offer an increase in wages. Is up to them.

[ReaperStrain]

I'm the person that does all the cleaning behind the customers. I spend all day breaking my back for the company, being spread thin, because sometimes I need to be three places at one time, and my poor little body can't handle the strain (there used to be three of us. One works in the grill, now. The other's in a transition phanse between jobs, and then I'm being cross-trained to handle even more things to fill a support role, in case of a labor shortage, on top of all that.

[xuimod]

The protesters know $15/hr is not realistic, it's just a negotiating tactic. Make high demands and make "concessions" to $11-12/hr (which I still think is too high).

[TechnologyTidbits]

Sure, Anthony Weber, I don't want to sound ignorant except a couple of things...
One, as someone who works in HR/Payroll-- the Federal Minimum wage is JUST that a theoretical marker (albeit antiquated) that says that anyone working full time at this rate and can support themselves.

Two, unfortunately it is also the marker at which service workers (ie the salaries of tipped employees--waitresses and the like-- are measured against) God help them if they don't work the right hours.

[requiemforamerica]

why don't you start a business and pay your workers 15 bucks an hour?

see how far that gets you

[luiswhatshisname]

minimum wage in Oregon is $8.95 per hour. Living expenses are a lot higher in NY. Salary dot com calculator and my calculations indicate that you would need at least $11/h to break even. Which I still think is too low.

[TreadSoftlyFriend]

If there were as many people qualified to be CEO's as working low paying jobs, CEO's would also earn minimum wage.

An economy is built by us; it's a reflection of our priorities and values. It's about supply and demand.

[alexseattle]

15 bucks per hour for Mc worker is too less compared to those in office talking the same shit everyday.

[classical]

These people seem to be speaking about the protesters as "these peasants" with little regard to the cost of living in NYC.

[MOJOOTDT]

First responsibility of any corporation: "Maximize shareholder wealth as measured by stock price and dividends". That's day 1 Finance 101! Don't like it, get an education, become valuable...then you can set your price. Can't do that? You'll take what's available. It really is that simple!

[luiswhatshisname]

The workers are negotiating. They still do not get $15/hour.
I can not get an electrician for less than $35/hour or a plumber for less than $100. You should unionize, open your own business or switch professions.

[classical]

*their* and believe it or not, college graduates are also having a hard time finding jobs that pays them what it cost to live in NYC. Higher education is starting to amount to endless debt which makes people think twice about pursuing higher ed.

[SilverMustangGT]

I'm not going to lie. I honestly thought the McDonald's workers in NYC made around $14-15 an hour. I had no idea they made $7.25 That's incredible. The price of food there is already much more then it is locally (Here in Central NJ). When I visit NYC I assumed the price of food was so expensive because the workers were making $14-15 per hour. Now I know that they're just making mad crazy money off customers.

[rubysmittens]

A raise in minimum pay doesn't have to result in an increase in the cost of
food if the executives and top management at these companies don't take such exorbitant pay and bonuses. Some of these CEOs make as much as $25, 000 a day. Is that really in anyway fair? Especially in NYC.

The culture, the acceptance of this obscene disparity in wages needs to change. Executives and management can share the profits made off the backs of their low level employees and be just fine.

[Xenophene]

In Australia workers at mcdonalds make $15 per hour and fast food is roughly the same price. either employees pay them or taxpayers pay them with food stamps and such. So people! Choose wisely