By BILL YEE
This past Labor Day weekend our church took a quick trip to June Lake to try our luck at fishing. On the way home we stopped along Highway 395 in the town of Bishop. Of course, we had to stop at Schat’s Bakery, where I bought sheepherder’s bread and other breads for neighbors and friends.
We also made our usual pit stop at McDonald’s. That was a huge mistake!
I saw and experienced first-hand the impact of the $20/hour wage for McDonald’s workers.
Please keep in mind that this was a busy holiday weekend and the McDonald’s parking lot was packed.
I am a loyal McDonald’s customer. The service at my local McDonald’s is always excellent. So my experience at the Bishop location was quite a shock.
The visit began badly. First of all, there were no employees to take my order. I had to place my order at the kiosk. I only wanted two smoothies and a Diet Coke!
I knew I was in trouble when I saw so many unhappy faces standing in front of the counter. These customers had been waiting for a long period to get their orders. One man said his family had been waiting for half an hour for their food.
I noticed that there were only five people actually working behind the counter. In addition to the crowd inside waiting, the drive-through line was also packed.
I also noted that drinks were filled through an automated fountain.
I had friends waiting for me in the parking lot. It took over 20 minutes to fill my drink order. There were still people waiting for their food when I left!
Business owners are in business to make profits. So any increase in costs to conduct business is passed on to the consumer. I believe these long lines can be attributed to reduced staffing, a cost-cutting measure.
Another result of the increased costs for business owners is the increase in prices. You may have noticed recently that the cost of a McDonald’s meal and even a cup of coffee has increased. In 2014 a Big Mac meal at McDonald’s cost $5.69. Today, ten years later, it costs $9.72! A cup of coffee in 2014 cost $1.29. Today it is $2.39!
So the question is: Should fast-food workers get a $20/hour wage? A person who works full-time at McDonald’s would earn $41,600 a year.
In the past, a job at McDonalds was an entry-level job for teenagers seeking work experience and attempting to earn a little spending money. Paychecks from McDonald’s would not to support a family. So should working at McDonald’s not be an entry-level job?
Should businesses expect to make a profit for their efforts? Some franchisees have talked about leaving California due to the high labor costs.
So there is a balance between corporate profits and the welfare of its workers. It may mean fewer hours for employees and a move towards automation.
For me, this Labor Day weekend was fast-food gridlock. Fast food was no longer fast food!
Bill Yee is a retired Alhambra High School history teacher. He can be reached at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.