I’m Making Twenty-One Dollars an Hour at McDonald’s. Why Aren’t You?

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/i-m-making-21-hour-mcdonald-s-why-aren-t-you-1400336743

No, that isn’t a typo. It’s really my salary.

You see, I work for McDonald’s in Denmark, where an agreement between our union and the company guarantees that workers older than 18 are paid at least $21 an hour. Employees younger than 18 make at least $15 — meaning teenagers working at McDonald’s in Denmark make more than two times what many adults in America earn working at the Golden Arches.

To anyone who says that fast-food jobs can’t be good jobs, I would answer that mine isn’t bad. In fact, parts of it are just fine. Under our union’s agreement with McDonald’s, for example, I receive paid sick leave that workers are still fighting for in many parts of the world. We also get overtime pay, guaranteed hours and at least two days off a week, unlike workers in most countries. At least 10 percent of the staff in any given restaurant must work at least 30 hours a week.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Copenhagen for example is one of the most expensive cities in the world for a Big Mac.

See http://www.priceoftravel.com/29/denmark/copenhagen-prices

Wages paid in Denmark are partly a reflection of living costs.

Post on similar subject here :

Swiss to vote on $25 minimum wage http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=805359

[secondvariety]

3. Not too bad...

Price of a Big Mac in Denmark is $5.18. Price in U.S. is $4.62. Maybe they gig you on the fries.


http://www.economist.com/content/big-mac-index

[druidity33]

7. If that's what it would take...

to get a living wage for everyone, i'd pay 10% more on everything and be happy to do it!

K&R

[gtar100]

4. Aren't living wages actually a good reason for higher prices?

Sure beats being gouged at the fuel pump.. or in the utility bill... simply because executives and shareholders are greedy. That's just one example out of many (far too many) industries that charge more and more for their products and services and have the means to pay executives very high salaries, but as soon as the discussion turns to wages, we're given the song and dance about needing to cut expenses and the worry they'd have to raise prices.

I don't buy the argument. If prices rise to meet the needs of workers, that's something I can live with. The ones who need a good, hard look in the mirror are those invested in land and businesses who expect to get rich without actually doing something to earn the money other than simply being blessed with "owning" a slice of the pie. What landlords, executives, investors, and bankers expect in return for their ownership or position far, far exceeds the value they play in the community.

[loudsue]

11. Exactamundo!

The higher gas prices are burning my ass. There is absolutely NO reason for it, except that it's an election year, and they have politicians to purchase.

[whopis01]

10. And the Swiss voted it down.

They prefer no minimum wage instead. Amazing.

[DeSwiss]

2. ''To anyone who says that fast-food jobs can’t be good jobs....''

If you're just basing the job on the wages and bennies, then yes. If you include the nutritunal value and health impact of the food -- at least as served here in the US (i.e.- HFCS, GMO-potatoes, GMO-corn fed beef, sodium hydroxide soaked pink slime chicken nuggets), then ah, no.

- K&R

[IronLionZion]

5. In America, we demonize union workers as fat, stupid, and lazy

because everyone knows executives and banksters are the real hard working job creators.

[Laelth]

6. k&r for labor. n/t

-Laelth

[reformist2]

8. $21 is kind of steep, but it's a good motivator for workers who want to unionize!

[KG]

9. it is distressing how many working class american idiots think unions are a bad thing..