Saturday, March 14, 2009

Who's Keeping Burger King Workers Below the Poverty Line?

... And so it goes....

There was a story my Strategic management professor used to tell that went something like this: In the 70's, when Toyota started to kick GM's ass, a bunch of executive types went to Japan to get a clue. Their Japanese counterpart told them, "In Japan, we make things. In the US, you play with money."

The gravy-sucking pigs have done their damage. It's time to shut them down. You can blame the Labor Unions all you want for ruining Industry in the US. In my book, it's at least a dead heat with the multiple layers of superfluous, bloated Management that (for example), JIT inventory practices created within the Auto industry and their teir I, II, etc. suppliers. I saw that first-hand. Then there's the whole Credit Industry. Pass the steak and shrimp salad.

Ever go out to dinner with a group of college friends and have to fork over extra money because the collection to pay the bill came up short? That's the way I feel as a taxpayer, being asked to kick in while these assholes keep their "earnings".

3 Comments:

At 7:13 PM, Blogger Rev. Barky said...

I haven't been able to find out much about unionizing fast food restaurants. Very low pay, high turnover, single moms that don't have any extra time to demonstrate. But hell, I had to join a union when I was just a bag boy - course there were real jobs at the grocery store to protect and WE were exploited by the union because we were just part time and in high school. We couldn't benefit from membership but they pressured us to join. Membership works when there is potential for making a living. Fast food is really at the bottom.

 
At 7:52 AM, Blogger breakerslion said...

I too do not believe that Union is the answer in this case. I was forced to join the Teamsters (part of AFL/CIO at the time) when I worked at Bradlee's Dept. Store ("closed shop"). I was paying Union dues for the privilege of making minimum wage. How was that helpful?

Unions exist because governments fail to govern. The US Government mandates benefits for full time employees, then lets employers play the 37.5 hour work week game to get out of paying. Their response to tighter regulation? "It will hurt the whole town when we have to fire people to maintain our fat paychecks and bonuses, and army of crack lawyers." Pfui. They have run most of the mom and pop operations out of business, and can somehow afford to give a slice to all the parasitic layers of management and the stock holders. So who do they screw to do this? Customers and the majority of the labor pool, that's who.

 
At 8:30 PM, Blogger Rev. Barky said...

Illegal immigrants make it worse - they will work for crap and don't join unions - forcing down wages.

 

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