McDonald’s workers are demanding $15 an hour and the right to form their own union. Okay, so how is this going to work. The minimum wage is now $7.25 which is what some McDonald’s workers receive. So what they want is an immediate doubling of their pay.
Isn’t pay a function of how easy you are to replace? If there are other people standing in line to take your place how do you demand an increase in pay?
Here are some of their spokespeople: Darius Cephas is 23 years old and has been working at McDonald’s for two years. He says that if he were 6 or 7 years younger it wouldn’t be a problem but at this stage of his life he can’t live where he wants to live and pay his food, phone and utilities. And get this – “I still have to pay back the student loans, but I haven’t made one payment yet because I still have all these bills lined up before that. I am not making enough,” he said. Ouch – he has student loans to pay back? Somehow, his academic plan didn’t seem to lead to an illustrious career.
Justin Johnson, who makes $7.60 an hour, says, “They’re not fooling us.” Bleu Rainer started working at McDonald’s 8 years ago. He’s now making $8.05 an hour. McDonald’s did just announce it will raise the pay of 90,000 of its US employees starting in July, meaning employees at its corporate-owned stores will earn at least a dollar more than the local minimum wage. But Bleu Rainer says, “Nice try McDonald’s! If those fat cats at McDonald’s think they will make us back down, they are wrong.”
Let’s look at some obvious flaws in this thinking:
- Why would you be working at McDonald’s after 8 years? And if so, have you not developed some new skills that would make you an attractive candidate for a better position?
- How could someone have invested time in college and not gotten some skills or knowledge to be in a position for a step up from flipping hamburgers.
- Your need never determines your pay. Moving into a nice apartment and buying a new car are not relevant factors in how much you are paid. The value of your contribution determines your pay. (Clarified in Chapter Ten – 10th Anniversary Edition 48 Days to the Work You Love.)
I love the fact that a young person can start at McDonald’s and get training in customer service, cleanliness, inventory control, handling unexpected crises, being taught the power of a smile, showing up on time and learning the importance of personal responsibility. Many employees there are recognized for exemplary skills and are recruited on the spot by observant customers. But this is not a likely place for someone to move into high level opportunities and it is not a place to demand a doubling in pay just because you “need” it for a comfortable lifestyle. Accept the training, polish your personal skills, make yourself more marketable and prepare to move into something a little better.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos started out working at McDonald’s, and he recently told Fast Company that ”one of the great gifts I got from that job is that I can crack eggs with one hand. My favorite shift was Saturday morning. The first thing I would do is get a big bowl and crack 300 eggs into it.” With a current net worth of $34.7 Billion he apparently learned some other valuable skills along the way. Sharon Stone, Jay Leno, Seal, Pink, Star Jones, Shania Twain and race car driver Tony Stewart all worked at McDonald’s on their way to something better. Politician Paul Ryan worked at McDonald’s during his sophomore year of high school. He just announced he won’t be running for President in 2016 but as a nine-term congressman he still may take a shot in the future. Yeah, McDonald’s is a starting point – not a final destination. Focus on improving your skills and marketing yourself for new opportunities. Don’t waste your time demanding double pay for the same work. The negative energy will damage you and McDonald’s will find plenty of people willing to take your spot when you’re gone.
I agree 100% with you Dan and I am going to share this on my FB and twitter posts. All of my girls, 2 in college and 1 in HS all have entry level jobs and all make more than minimum wage they started out on. Why? Because they have worked very hard and have made themselves valuable to the places they work as time went on. All 3 of them are very grateful for the opportunity each of their jobs provide them but they know these current jobs are just the start, not the end.
Bob – Sounds like your girls are learning real life lessons. I remember working for $1 an hour – doing rugged farm work. We call all learn and grow.
Thank you for this Dan. I worked there for a year not long ago. It is was a low point for me as it was “a step down,” but I did learn from it. Funny working at a place where I would not eat the food.
Quickly engaging and standing out in service and joy was something I liked that I learned. Also, learning that many people seem to be happy where they are at and not seem to want more was something that was something that my eyes were opened more to.
Christopher – as you saw, the issue is not wanting to move on but wanting more money for doing the same thing. Thanks for sharing your experience.
No one is forcing anyone to stay in a job they don’t like or feel is paying them what they are worth. Of course, with that kind of mindset it sounds to me they are being paid what they are worth. Great post!
Camilla – Yep, it’s a circular challenge. They make themselves undesirable to other employers because of the attitude of unrealistic demands.
Thanks for this perspective. With wages such a public topic these days it’s easy to get distracted from the purpose of working at a place like McDonalds. I know a few successful friends who worked a season at McDonalds. They took the job knowing it was a stepping stone on the journey and maximized the benefit of that step before moving onward and upward.
Aaron – I love that the opportunity is there to work at McDonald’s. But yeah – it should be a stepping stone, not a final destination.
I believe a person who works a full time job should be paid enough to live on. I don’t care if the person is “replaceable,” EVERYONE is! It’s a question of justice for the poor. A fair day’s work= a fair day’s pay.
Donnie – that’s an impossible situation. What’s “enough to live on?” If three teenagers are living in a small apartment together then the current wage at McDonald’s is probably enough. If one person has a wife and three kids then obviously it’s not going to work.
I agree that fast food jobs are supposed to be entry level and stepping stones. The problem that some are running into is there aren’t any better jobs *available*. People get downsized, and can’t find anything else. If there are only 100 jobs, but 500 people NEED jobs, then many are left out.
If a person has a clear set of skills it’s seems there are always jobs available. It’s not a lack of jobs – it’s a lack of bringing value to the table.
McDonald’s was the first job I stepped into after being fired from my 1st job out of college. It was the most amazing job I ever had, emphasizing hard work with a great attitude or smile. Four years after leaving McDonald’s I was running my own school as a principal. Today, I’m Dr. Tommy Watson, successful Entreprenuer and the author of a book in which I discuss my learnings from McDonald’s during my 2 years there (The Resilience of Champions!). McDonald’s and Dan Miller’s book, No More Dreaded Mondays, have been instrumental in my success. You can check out my McD’s story at http://www.tawatson.com. Thanks, Dan! I’d love to meet you someday.
Tommy – oh what a perfect story. I did check out your site and videos. Congratulations on getting in the game and then following new opportunities as you made yourself more valuable! Would love to meet you.
I have never worked at McDonald’s. My perspective on it and all other restaurants, from fast food on up, comes as a customer. Occasionally, a person will stand out in such a way that I have remarked to my wife, “If I were to be looking for an employee I’d hire this person on the spot.” If you are going to be in the food-service industry, become a server at a restaurant. No rocket science there. Just a case of working harder on yourself (appearance, smile, attention to detail, keen interest in the needs of your patron, etc.) than you do on the job itself. A friend told me his college-age daughter made $280 in tips recently one day in a chain steak restaurant, not a high end place. This is true of all employment in life: If you don’t want to work on yourself, be prepared to work at something you don’t like.
Ron – thanks so much for your comments. Your last line could be the title of a book –
If you don’t want to work on yourself, be prepared to work at something you don’t like
Agree with every word.
Here’s a recipe for anyone wanting to make more than minimum
wage: Work as hard as you possibly can
for as many hours as you can possibly work. Do anything your boss asks (as long
as it is not illegal or immoral) with a polite and happy attitude! Smile and answer positively whenever he asks
anything of you. Try to anticipate what
he might need BEFORE he asks you. Be a
person of integrity at work and while away from work: Don’t steal from the office (no
exceptions — not even a paperclip!), don’t “steal time” from your
employer: If someone is paying you, THEY
OWN that time. It is not your time to
text, talk on the phone, email and so on, unless there is an extreme
once-in-a-blue-moon emergency, in which case you should apologize to your
employer, explain the situation and offer to make up the time with him (he’ll
be so blown away that he likely will decline your offer.) Be EARLY to work every day. Stay until the end of the day and just before
leaving; ask your employer and your colleagues or co-workers if there is
anything you can do to help them before you leave. Come clean and dressed appropriately for your
position. Don’t use profanity. Never lie:
Don’t call in sick unless you are truly ill . Your boss knows. If you need to miss work for any reason, try
to give your boss advance notices and offer to do whatever it takes to fix
things before you leave and catch up on whatever needs to be done when you
return. Thank you boss periodically for
your job and tell him why you like working for him and for your company. Consider the company you work for yours in
that you care for its welfare and bottom line health . Cut out watching tv in
your spare time. Read and listen to
educational material whenever you can. If you do all these things, you that
you will move up the financial ladder faster than you can imagine. Guaranteed. 🙂
Tracy – love your outline here. And it leads right to your last statement and guarantee – If you do all these things, you thatyou will move up the financial ladder faster than you can imagine. I agree totally!
I too agree with your comments. I’d like to add a success story I know of in our area. A local machine shop owner was having trouble recruiting talent. Many parents unknowingly push their kids into a position they think is best. His employees average $80,000 per year with overtime. He went to the local high school and asked for 5 kids to sweep floors. He watched over time and saw that 2 of them stood out, always on time, always working and asking questions. He offered them a deal, go to the local trade school, on his dime, work Sat at his place, Once graduating at age 20 walk into a position making $60,000 to $80,000 with overtime.
Chris – what a great example of looking for the attitude that will open doors of opportunity. Thanks for sharing that real life story.
There are two things that these McDonald’s employees are overlooking. First, McDonald’s has one of the BEST promote-from-within programs, and they work hard to cultivate their best talent. Okay, I was a stockholder, but I learned this by working for one of McDonald’s suppliers – the store owners, managers and upper-echelon brass that I dealt with all once had been counter help at a Micky D’s. Second, in France and Japan, McDonald’s has started using androids and automated service in order to avoid labor issues. That’s right – you can program a computer to ask, “do you want fries with that” – and have a conveyor belt bring the completed meal out to the customer. No humans? No problems. These employees had best read the tea leaves and start making exit plans.
This just gave me an idea. I’m sure someone else is already working on this. Apple Pay can also become Apple Order. Since fast-food restaurants usually have the same menus at most locations, simply have an app for the IPhone and Android which allows you to pre-order and pay for your food upon entering the restaurant. Customize you order on the app. Store the menu orders in the phone that you commonly or routinely make. Swipe. Boom. No order takers needed. Super fast. My wife and I were in Paris a couple of years back. McD’s uses kiosks to take the orders, pay, and assign order numbers. They use humanoids (real people) to deliver the food to the waiting customer. Coming to America sooner than you think.
Ron – they are indeed working on this. I have a Taco Bell app on my phone that allows me to do exactly what you describe. Check it out in the App store.
Cordia Harrington lives here in Nashville. She went from being homeless to owning several McDonald’s franchises. Then she started The Bun Company to make and sell hamburger buns TO McDonalds. In corporate circles Cordia Harrington is affectionately known as The Bun Lady. She owns three high volume bakeries producing 1,000 buns a minute for corporate giants like McDonalds and Pepperidge Farms.
Read about Ms. Harrington and her enterprises in one of the bakery trade magazines a while ago. She is a prime example of what you can do when you make the best use of what you have at hand. And in her case, you can see why McDonalds refers to its training program as “McDonalds University.” She probably learned as much about what is now termed “lean manufacturing”, food safety and quality control thru McD U as many MBAs learn in traditional education.