[plain talk]

If these bozos were successful in getting a $15 minimum wage I wonder if they realize that this would drastically improve the business case for robotization of the fast food industry. The technology exists although admittedly still new. But robotization is where this is going without or without a minimum wage increase. Their efforts will just speed it up as well as their unemployment.

[tanknetter]

If these bozos were successful in getting a $15 minimum wage I wonder if they realize that this would drastically improve the business case for robotization of the fast food industry. The technology exists although admittedly still new. But robotization is where this is going without or without a minimum wage increase. Their efforts will just speed it up as well as their unemployment.

People working minimum wage jobs at places like McDonalds might, possibly, get that as they're liberated from the drudgery of "work" and pass an ordering kiosk on their way out.

Possibly.

More likely they'll buy into the class-warfare excuse that the kiosks are just another part of the great 1% conspiracy to keep them permanently impoverished. Because they were entitled to that minimum wage job.

What they REALLY won't get, ever, is how the very unions that they believed supported them really sold minimum wage workers down the river in order to bump up the salaries of higher-paid unionized workers. Who have contracts indexed to the minimum wage. And pay union dues based on a % of their before-taxes incomes.

[Objective Scrutator]

Any calls politicians make to protect “jobs” are done at the expense of market efficiency. That being said, I’m always surprised that more people aren’t using self-checkout lines at supermarkets, even when lines in the cashier lanes are longer. We live in a society where people are too stupid and unmotivated to learn how to scan a barcode into a machine, though, so I doubt that the market wants to rapidly implement these devices. This is why we must be ever diligent against the existence of the minimum wage.

[Grams A]

There might not be robots yet capable of handling tasks but touch screens are certainly available and I do expect to see more of them show up everywhere. Could certainly get rid of anyone taking an order, accepting payment or delivering product.

Our local grocery stores never have more than one or two check out places manned by a real person but lots of self-check out areas. My bank has only one attended drive through area but two with do it yourself deposit machines. I would think somewhere along the line some of these people striking for more money would take a look at what has happened in other industries.