SLAVE WAGES IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY.

(Ron Dewey, WWJ NEWS, Green Bay Press Gazette)

(Charles Worsham, Chicago Tribune)

(Ed Lump, Frazer Chronicle)

Every once in a while a subject chafes my butt to a point where I just have to stop almost everything and address the subject. Such is the case today with the question of restaurant jobs, how those employees are paid…..and what some stupid jerk says are the reasons behind the low pay. Such is the case with big Ed Lump.

“Are restaurant jobs worthwhile,” Ed Lump answers that question with an empathic yes, and why wouldn’t he, Lump is the President and CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, or as I’d refer to his position as, “advocacy for low paying jobs and the justification for the same.” Seems to me as if Ed’s job longevity would depend and hinge on his ability to keep wages muzzled in the fast food industry.

And another thing…..yesterday my wife and I had a burger one soda and one order of French fries and the ticket was $9.46, and I left a $4 tip. Soooooo the grand total for 4 buns, 2 patties of hamburger, onions, catsup, pickets, mustard, a 12 ounce can of soda, ice and a straw, and probably a quarter of a potato for the fries that maybe cost $3, and I’m being (generous with the cost part) leaving $6.46 in profit to play with.

The $4 tip I left more than covered the labor portion of the transaction…..so that leaves building expenses, insurance, utilities and whatever other overhead was involved. Now Ed, I’m really trying to be fair and honest with my analogy of the two burgers, fries and one soda…..but I still come out with a probable profit, after all the expenses are considered of, oh, say…..$2 dollars. That’s a pretty fair assessment…..right Ed?

There were 12 other people (about) in the restaurant, and they all eat a meal…..it was noon, a couple even had cocktails, so if there was a $2 clear profit per table wouldn’t you say that in the twenty or so minutes that my wife and I were in the establishment, the owners realized a clear cut profit of $24? I think that assessment would be fair…..wouldn’t you Ed?

If in a day the restaurant (it is a bar-restaurant) serves 100 plates of food, and each plate brings a $2 profit, the figures would equate into a daily profit of $200. If you work that profit figure out, and use it for around 300 days, the annual gross profit before taxes would be around $60,000. Now remember overhead came out of the $6.46 and the $4 tip.

So whoever the owner is can walk away at the end of the year with a tidy little sum of around $60,000 before taxes…..and the figure does not include the bar trade, which by the way Ed, is lucrative. The owner can come and go as he likes, and all he’d have to do is count up receipts at either the end of the day, week, or quarter…..not a bad gig at all, big Ed.

NOW LETS GET TO YOUR POINT(S) EDDY

The Ashton Kutcher really isn’t even neat or a feel good story, and the fact that you used to be a soda jerk isn’t impressive either…..your attitude Ed, is still jerky. Kutcher, during a speech to teenagers revealed that originally his name was Chris Ashton Kutcher, and listed the entry-level jobs that he’d had when he was growing up…..(I guess.)

Kutcher related that he’d sweep floors, and washed dishes on his way to becoming wealthy and very successful as Ashton Kutcher. However that’s not the entire story Ed, Kutcher was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has a twin brother who had a heart transplant at a young age, developed Cerebral Palsy and the Cardiomyopathy condition of the brother caused a very stressful home life.

So the part that Kutcher turned out to be a famous and highly successful screen star is true, but the part about his twin brother making for a stressful home life might have been another reason for Chris Aaron Kutcher to melt into entry level jobs as a way to get away from a stressful situation.

With few exceptions everybody has their own personal history of meaningless jobs…..it’s called growing up, Ed. I’ve had menial jobs in my time…..lots of menial jobs, and the only thing that they taught me was getting on to the next job…..and to be more selective with where I went.

With little exception low paying jobs are actually subsidized by the federal government…..look at Wal-Mart; their employees are encouraged to apply for governmental Medicaid and food-stamps. The numbers of low paying employers is endless, and way too long to list here.

But I can tell you this, Ed, without exception low paying jobs take advantage of a situation or an entire group of workers. Teenagers, poorly educated, or those folks who simply are satisfied with non-thinking positions, it’s a scam.

OKAY ED…..THE REAL SKINNY

If restaurants were forced to pay $15 an hour…..it would eliminate jobs…..for that statement a big balderdash and a couple of ho ho’s. It’s simply not true, Ed, I’ll bet you’re a flaming conservative, huh, huh, additional wages that are paid end up being passed on to the consumer…..it’s the way our Capitalist society operates.

And your argument with regards to higher educated individuals taking these McDonalds and Pete’s Soda Joint jobs, sorry Ed, it doesn’t hold up. Many people with a college degree (that’s what your taking about…..right Eddy,) these people, if unemployed will continue looking for employment in their field. I should have kept count of the times that I was told that I was over-qualified; if I had a dollar for each time I’d be a hundred-air!

Look Ed, you represent an industry here in Wisconsin that really is clean, (sanitation inspections prove that,) honest, and actually above board. The only problem is with the paystubs for employees, there isn’t enough money at the end of the week.

You said that the majority of minimum wage workers are “just starting the professional lives” and I suppose you figure that by restaurants hiring young people for a crap bag wage will introduce them to the work world. First off, with little exception, low wage employers aren’t interested in teaching a kid what doing a good job means…..kids aren’t dumb, they get it…..they work at a fast food restaurant because that usually can’t get a decent job.

With little exception entry level jobs mean one thing, and one thing only…..low paychecks, and maybe if you work at the right place, burgers at cost…..or maybe some bring a sack lunch because they know what goes into a burger.

Don’t try and tell me, Ed, that the restaurant industry helps millions of teenagers develop working skills, you can’t fool most of us, developing pride while cleaning a greasy grill does only one thing, and it’s not how to build a career, it’s how the hell can I get my butt out of here.

Ed, you talk about not being ashamed, and that you make the country a better place, wow, can you run that by me one more time big guy. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, you restaurateurs are like any other group of business’s, you worry about your bottom line, come on, Ed, I’m a big boy, I can take the truth…..can you?

HAVE A NICE DAY!