The twenty dollar Big Mac

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I still do not see a issue. How is asking for a raise a just and reasonable request?

CPI Increases, inflation, award rates reviews, outdated contracts, job performance is above average, customer feedback, increased profits, outdated workplace agreements, and the list goes on.

Hair and metal hanging out of employees noses, eyebrows and lips mean very little these day. I see it all the time.

Pardon? What has that got to do with reviewing wages or pay rates? If we are talking about grooming standards at the McDonald's that is mentioned in the article then we would need to see their grooming standards outlined in the employee's handbook. If it is not listed in their handbook that piercings, earrings or untrimmed hair, when serving food is not mentioned as being against the grooming standards, then your comment would be considered discrimitory.
Aperson's skill set is not judged by their piercings or hair, but by how they perform their tasks.

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

I work in IT. I have been in the field for a little over 20 years now in one way or the other. I don't have a degree at all. I took a training and skill that was somewhat related, rolled it into a helpdesk job. Today, am the primary IT guy for half a state with a major financial institution - without a degree. You want something, you work for it and get it. You use the skills you have to the best of your ability.

Sure, and?
So you are saying that the low-lives should man up and get a real job.
We are back at square one again.
I think that not all is as it seems. Do we really assume that people who are in low-paid service industries are there because they want to be? All of them? Are they there because they want to be? All of them? There may be a raft of reasons why a person works for Maccas. Not all of them are as clear cut as we like think.

Based on what? Their value to the company, or their personal sense of value? Because they are not worth $15 an hour to the company.

See my above comment in reply to AVGWarhawk.
Because they are not worth $15 an hour. Is that your personal belief? How do you know? Do you know what's in their contract or workplace agreement? Do you know what that person or persons that work at the particular store mentioned in the article performance is like? Are you their superior who does performance reviews on them? Are you the person that sets out the award rates for people that work for McDonald's? No?
Ok.

And why is that an issue? No one made them take that job. They are offered ways to improve themselves by moving into management - but instead of doing so they are simply out in the street demanding more - instead of behind the counter doing what they are paid to do.

No no-one has made them take it. That's not my issue. Nor is it anyone else's.
Offered management positions? Well then, obviously they can't be that bad then, to be offered management positions they must have above average performance levels then. And to boot, must be worth more than the $8.72 per hour that is currently offered to them. No?
Also, we are assuming again that every person is able to take on a management position and in turn accept the responsibilities that come with a management position, ie longer hours, more stress, more liability, less time with family, less time to see the specialist or go to the oncologist becaause they need to follow up on their cancer treatment results. Or less time for their chemo or radiation treatments. Or their drug rehab meetings. Or God knows what else might be could be a catalist for these people not accepting the management role.
However does that in your eyes exclude them from a wage increase due for reasons i already mentioned above? I f you say yes, then i'm disappointed.

Its a "give me" attitude they are displaying based on their own individual actions, instead of working hard to earn more. Guess what - the American Dream is about success through struggle - not a nice fat paycheck "just because".

Funny that, i don't get any 'give me' attitude at all from these people. The only sense i'm getting is that it's dam tough to put food on the table for $8.72 per hour. Or dam tough to feed the kids. Or dam tough to provide for loved ones.
Next we move onto your 'fat paycheck'. Laughable. A fat paycheck is what? $15 per hour?
You have to be kidding me right?