Maybe Employee Unions are much stronger in Boston than in Texas. The contractual demands of hiring bonuses, med. benefits, vacation benefits, retirement benefits, longevity of employment benefits, litigation of termination or disciplinary costs, tends to add up. On the whole, I get the impression the Unions are not the total Hydraheaded Longfanged Monster they used to be in the 60s or 70s.
I’m thinking maybe states have hidden taxes in food and they very in each state.