‘WE ALL QUIT’: How America’s Workers Are Taking Back Their Power

Motherboard, Vice ^ | 7/23/2001 | Lauren Kaori Gurley

[Sixgun Symphony]

Motherboard spoke to economists and historians about why fast food and retail workers around the country are suddenly quitting en masse.

Something remarkable is happening in fast food establishments, retail stores, and restaurants across America. You may have seen photos of it go viral. You may have even experienced it in real life if you've dined at a Chili's or Applebee's and the hostess apologizes for extra-long wait times.

“WE ALL QUIT, SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE,” disgruntled employees posted in giant letters on a sign outside a Burger King in Lincoln, Nebraska earlier this month.

[The Pack Knight]

“Labor is not that biggest cost driver in most business.”

“The Entire Capitalist Experiment relies on cheap labor obtained by any means possible.”

How can both of those statements be true?

[webstersII]

I think you are mistaken.

Labor cost is the biggest cost for businesses.

[PLMerite]

[Third, the China Virus convinced many they can “work from home.” No. This was meant as a temp fix, not a livestyle.]

Someone needs to tell them “working from home” doesn’t extend to burger flipping.

Although it would make a great comedy routine.

[central_va]

Labor cost is the biggest cost for businesses.

A common misconception that pits workers against the GOP. The cost of labor depends on the industry. Manufacturing: it is less the 7% of the final cost to the end purchaser. Fast Food: it is as high as 30%.

[PLMerite]

“In central VA McDonalds is paying $15.00/hr to start. The prices on the menu have not changed very much.”

Do any of the workers look like C-3PO or R2-D2? That might be the answer.

[central_va]

How can both of those statements be true?

They can't. It is a misconception ( corporate GOP propaganda ) that labor is the biggest cost driver in industry. It's not but the right wingers think it is. The scare tactic used and a lack of common sense which allows the corporate establishment free reign to import as many bodies as possible LEGALLY and offshore factories. You know that a pair of pliers will cost $400 if made in the USA donchaknow. Its' crap like that...

[central_va]

Looks like the myth that $15.00/hr equates to $50.00 happy meals is BS.

[central_va]

Do any of the workers look like C-3PO or R2-D2? That might be the answer.

No. It looks the same as it always.

[The Pack Knight]

So if labor doesn’t drive cost, then how could capitalism depend on “cheap labor obtained by any means possible”?

[Big Red Badger]

Fair enough,,,

[MSF BU]

Cook at home, it is cheaper. I’m in Puerto Rico and they’re not having this problem here, especially for customers who are known to pay cash.

[smvoice]

“Taking back their power, h”ll. They’re taking the back of their Stimulus checks and signing on the dotted line. As they’ve been doing for a long while, and a long time to come, I think.

[Svartalfiar]

Part time workers are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Businesses hire their low-tier workers as part timers, to avoid having to give them benefits like health insurance.

Sure, part-timers don't get many, if any, benefits. But UI doesn't care about that, at least in most States. TX for example, to hit the minimum benefit amount, you need to have made a minimum total of $2590, spread between at least two quarters. That'll get you $70 a week.

[central_va]

Cheap labor INCREASES the profit margin. So to go from say a 4% to 5% profit margin they will suck as much labor out of the market as they can for that one percent. They will import humans to do it or offshore entire factories for that 1 percent knowing our esteemed globalist Republicans will not put up any import tariffs or deal with the social/political ramifications. What I want is to stop ALL immigration for a long time, make ALL here with American labor.

Here is what I perceive is the true mainstream Republican Party Platform .

• Americans are lazy and drug addicts.
• America workers, that aren't drug addicts and lazy, are overpaid.
• Imported indentured labor is cheaper and more productive and we don't have to whip them.
• Rising wages are a crises that requires drastic action i.e. more imports!
• Tariffs are bad and income taxes are good.
• Wages can never be low enough.
• Eliminate the minimum wage and let in more illegals.

[Kevmo]

[central_va]

So true.

Globalism + capitalism = despotism

Nationalism + capitalism = prosperity

[sitetest]

In my state, part-timers are eligible for unemployment.

[Kevmo]

I wouldn’t mind seeing some tariffs based on the number of immigration applications from one country to another.

If shiitehole country A has 5 million applicants trying to get into nationalist country B then we can charge a thousand dollars for each applicant such that there is an effective balancing element of $5B tariff when we import their cheapshiite goods.

That money could be funneled into a retraining program for nationalist country B workers who have lost their jobs.

[central_va]

I am in the STOP ALL IMMIGRATION FOR DECADES camp. Like from 1925 to 1965.

[Kevmo]

Same here.

I do favor, however, an unrestricted H1B policy such as they have in Japan.

Over there, if ya really need a gaigin worker you have to pay them about 30-40% higher than the indigenous worker salary. But they can import as many as they need.

The end result is there’s very little immigration fraud, there is no use of the system to drive down labor costs, and they get the people they need. Win-win-win.

I think immigration should be tied to unemployment rate. If our unemployment rate is , say above 3% then immigration should be zero. Let in immigrants on a merit basis directly tied to that unemployment figure.

And no chain immigration. If immigrants wanna go see grampa, they can hop on a plane.