mcdonald's workers are suing and the battle is going to be fascinating

[xchrom]

http://www.nationofchange.org/mcdonald-s-workers-are-suing-and-battle-going-be-fascinating-1395243064



McDonald’s workers in New York, California, and Michigan filed class action suits against the chain, as well as several franchises, for wage theft violations. The cases accuse the fast-food giant of “systematically stealing employees’ wages by forcing them to work off the clock, shaving hours off their time cards, and not paying them overtime, among other practices,” according to a press release by the workers’ lawyers.

Sometimes, lawsuits are about winning money. Sometimes they’re about publicity. And sometimes they’re about fishing for information. These suits seem to be about all three.

First, the money. The workers are represented by Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, which is one of the few major American law firms that specializes in representing plaintiffs in class actions. It tends not to bring suits without a somewhat reasonable case or the chance of a significant payday.

Second, publicity. The suit comes in the midst of a long public relations campaign by fast-food workers demanding higher wages. Employees at McDonald’s and other chains have been walking off the job in daylong strikes that, while mostly symbolic, have added fuel to the drive for a higher minimum wage.

[el_bryanto]

1. I don't doubt that many franchises are screwing over their employees

While some are probably treating them more or less fairly (within the inherently crummy world of working for McDonalds). I think though it might be hard to prove that Mc Donalds is encouraging this sort of behavior. I think they might get the franchises but not McDonalds as a whole.

Bryant

[yeoman6987]

2. If these things were happening to me

If I was being ripped off with hours, paying uniforms, and other things, I would have quit and gone somewhere else. Certainly Burger King or somewhere else would be a better fit. I am always amazed at how much people will put up with in a job. I have a friend who works at one of the breakfast places and they don't treat her well. I told her of another breakfast place that is hiring and gave her the information. She said, "oh I will just stay where I am". Always stuns me….