In the past few years, many businesses have implemented self-serve kiosks in their stores. In many cases, these kiosks are faster and easier and make it easier for everyone to navigate through their day. If I can, I always choose self-checkout when I buy my groceries. I always check in on my phone at the airport, and then use the kiosk to check my bags. These conveniences are not exclusive to the consumer, companies love self-serve kiosks. Why? They don't have to pay employees.
Earlier this week McDonald's implemented self-serve order kiosks at some locations. McDonald's spokeswoman told Business Insider, "Similar to ordering from an app, the technology (any technology such as self-order kiosk, mobile phone, web ordering), offers additional service options, giving customers the ability to control the way they wish to experience and engage with McDonald’s." While the sentiment behind this may be somewhat genuine, there’s no denying that having this technology will require less of McDonald’s Employees. With fewer employees, McDonald’s can afford to pay them all $15 an hour like many are requesting.
McDonald’s is the second largest employer in the world, right behind Wal-Mart, employing nearly 2 million people. One would think that a company that massive would be able to maintain it’s employee base while paying them the $15 an hour they deserve. Unfortunately, with the way McDonalds, and most companies like them are structured, that is not the case. Most McDonald’s franchises are individually owned, and the store itself on average brings home about 6 cents in profit at the end of the day. The profit margins just aren’t there for companies to pay people a better minimum wage.
That’s all well and good but people are still struggling. I personally work 3 jobs, and I can barely support myself on top of school. Youth unemployment is continuing to grow, averaging around 30%. This may not seem like a problem, but young people have debt, and eventually will need to grow up and get jobs and pay off that debt. Which is hard to do when you’re stuck in your situation. Most of the working class are single parents and young people, the base of our economy, and they are struggling. All economies have a working class, a group of people that work very hard and are treated poorly. Be them slaves or single moms, they always exist and they always get the shortest end of the stick.
While I don’t have the knowledge to really know what should be done here, I can say that people need to be paid a living wage. Anyone who works 40 hours a week shouldn’t be under the poverty line, yet so many are. I think the federal government should partially restructure the private sector, forcing large companies like Wal-Mart and McDonalds to stop lining their own pockets and start helping their franchises. I’ll leave the exact details to the big wigs. If a 20 year old at community college can see this issue and one possible solution, then God willing the people whose job it is to fix these thing coughing Congress! coughing will figure it out.
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