- McJobs and Workers -

McDonalds is NOT a good career move except for the very few.

In Reply to: Canada Working Conditions posted by Pat McIver on June 30, 1998 at 18:50:08:

Oh, I see something you don't seem to here, even though you've pretty much pointed it out for us-
Your right... McDonalds is NOT a good career move except for the very few.. But that's the point, as you say, McD's conditions are like many other restaurants/businesses because they maintain "competative" standards. Unfortunately, these standards do not address the needs of the workers.. Fine, at your restaurant many of the workers are there for spending money... but I hope you understand that many people who work for McD's ARE in it to make a living and as you say ,McD's conditions are like many other restaurants/ businesses, so it's not like a worker can just up and leave to another business and find great working conditions... but you understand,I hope, that McDonalds is not the sole target of the unionizing drive... but the big problem with McDonalds is that they CAN AFFORD to pay their employees a decent living wage with health benefits (sure most of us are covered if hurt on the job- but do to the economic strain of poverty-level wages the cost of getting hurt off-the-job can render one homeless)But instead Most of the money goes to "Investors" and corporate-director types... never mind that it is the cashiers, cooks, and middle management that actually MAKE THE WHOLE THING RUN... look the point is this, McD's maintains conditions that are pretty standard across the service industries... they get away with what they can, when and where they can, and so long as there is no solidarity amongst the workers who make it possible that will continue... I'm glad that you are happy with the conditions where you are but please, understand that many of McD's workers just want to live with dignity and the IWW organizing drives are simply a means to create and maintain worker solidarity in workers' efforts to achieve that dignity- at McD's- across the service industries- and across the working class.

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