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The American fast-food industry fosters remarkable inequality: One fast-food CEO is paid around $11 million per year, while the average cook earns about $9 per hour for an annual salary of $18,720—that is, if an employee can even secure full-time work. Employee hours are cut, sometimes without notice, so that employers can avoid paying workers during periods when sales are low. These hard-working employees are often forced to work off the clock or are paid via debit cards that charge a fee for transactions. In these instances, employers’ profits are shamelessly put far and above the rights of workers.
Profits are so important to these companies that employees are prevented from accessing basic human needs. Papa John’s millionaire Founder, Chairman, and CEO John Schnatter openly vowed to cut all workers’ hours to avoid having to provide insurance to full-time workers, as required under the Affordable Care Act.
McDonald’s also demonstrated a total disregard for employees’ basic needs when it published a sample budget that ostensibly illustrated how workers can get by on their abysmally low wages. The original sample budgeted $20 per month for health care and $0 for heat bills. The budget also included wages from a second job, actually highlighting the fact that one low-wage salary is not enough to support a family.
June 2013 marked the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the legislation that originally introduced the minimum wage. But since the minimum wage has not been indexed to inflation, its buying power has actually decreased over time, while costs for families have increased. This means that an employee today who makes the minimum wage can afford less than the previous generation of low-paid workers could afford. Labor policies have thus far failed to stop the dehumanizing exploitation and inadequate pay of these service workers.
With the wages they actually receive, workers can barely afford the food they serve, let alone provide for their families.
Sarah P. Miller
Profits are so important to these companies that employees are prevented from accessing basic human needs. Papa John’s millionaire Founder, Chairman, and CEO John Schnatter openly vowed to cut all workers’ hours to avoid having to provide insurance to full-time workers, as required under the Affordable Care Act.
McDonald’s also demonstrated a total disregard for employees’ basic needs when it published a sample budget that ostensibly illustrated how workers can get by on their abysmally low wages. The original sample budgeted $20 per month for health care and $0 for heat bills. The budget also included wages from a second job, actually highlighting the fact that one low-wage salary is not enough to support a family.
June 2013 marked the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the legislation that originally introduced the minimum wage. But since the minimum wage has not been indexed to inflation, its buying power has actually decreased over time, while costs for families have increased. This means that an employee today who makes the minimum wage can afford less than the previous generation of low-paid workers could afford. Labor policies have thus far failed to stop the dehumanizing exploitation and inadequate pay of these service workers.
With the wages they actually receive, workers can barely afford the food they serve, let alone provide for their families.
Sarah P. Miller
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-18 12:29 pm (UTC)There is the scandal here of hundreds of thousands of jobs being zero-hours contracts where if you are not needed at work you just don't get paid. You might only be needed for an hour or if the local branch is trying to save money to look good for management you might have to do extra free overtime while other employees stay home on zero wages even when they are needed!