The inevitable result of across-the-board minimum wage hikes? Fewer minimum wage jobs.
Case in point; as minimum wages around the country rose during the 2000s, McDonalds started pre-cooking its hamburger patties, so they’d only need to be reheated in the stores. This got rid of most of the traditional “burger-flipper” jobs, the ones that liberals sneered at but provided hundreds of thousands of opportunities for teens and others entering and re-entering the workforce to learn how to show up for work on time and do a good job at something.
But there was always the front counter. Right?
Maybe not; McDonalds is testing thousands of touch-screen kiosks in France:
The move is designed to boost efficiency and make ordering more convenient for customers. In an interview with the Financial Times, McDonald’s Europe President Steve Easterbrook notes that the new system will also open up a goldmine of data. McDonald’s could potentially track every Big Mac, McNugget, and large shake you order. A calorie account tally at the end of the year could be a real shocker.
The touch screens will only accept debit or credit cards, adding to the slow death knell of cash and coins. This all goes along with an overall revamp of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide aimed at projecting a modern image as opposed to the old-fashioned golden arches…
Winkler is spending his between-session time agitating for a minimum wage hike bill.
Minnesota’s young and poor should ask him to stop doing them any more favors.
Maybe if there was a touch-screen kiosk of some kind…
I am blown away at how dumb and reckless the DFL is on this. Harvard educated.
++, TFS. The more I see of the left, I simply have to conclude that they are entirely unaware that people can and do make decisions based on cost, unless it’s a decision based on cost that the left wants made their way. Bizaare.
A clever move. The people who remain employed in minimum wage jobs will thank Winkler (and his party) for giving them a raise. The people who get laid off will blame their employer. The people who can’t find work at the new wage will blame corporate America.
Intended Consequences
Aren’t kiosks the same as the ATMs that President Obama blamed for the high unemployement rate? Surelt he won’t let this stand.
“Goldmine of data.” So, in the new Utopia, when you need serious heart work, your eating habits can be reviewed to see if you’re worthy enough for it. I have long felt the same about liquor stores which require a scan of your driver’s license before they can complete your purchase. A friend who sold these devices told me that a strong selling point was the ability to track customers’ purchases.
Obviously, this was intended for marketing purposes, but just about any data collected can be released with a subpoena or court order. Access to a candidate’s bad-habit information could be quite useful to a political opponent, a prosecuting attorney, or divorce, litigation, or other lawyer who has you in her/his sights.
I heard that McDonald’s is building a factory in Mexico to produce the kiosks.
“I heard that McDonald’s is building a factory in Mexico to produce the kiosks.”
Boy if that’s truly the case the irony is palpable! No minimum wage, and no Obama care.
Scott , I apologize for that part. I did make it up. My intent was to sarcastically imply that even when using technology, the company would seek to utilize the the same country of origin as its most cost effective non-technical labor force.
And, my implied intent was not to disparage Latino workers; my recent experience with an all Americano-staffed McDonalds in Pine City did not show that homegrown employees were superior to those from other countries.
Sorry for any confusion. However, the possibility of it being true is not at all out of the realm of possibility.
Joe wrote:
my recent experience with an all Americano-staffed McDonalds in Pine City did not show that homegrown employees were superior to those from other countries.
Obviously you were mistaken about the American staff. These are jobs no American will do.
Must have been Canadians.
Jason Lewis was making the point last night that we should just give into maximum socialism and let everything collapse.
The Minnesota choo chop train financials are INSANE. Plus they destroyed all of those businesses on University etc.
Fuck this system. It’s hopeless. http://www.amazon.com/End-Near-Its-Going-Awesome/dp/0062220683/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376035164&sr=1-1
The MNGOP should propose $20 /hr.
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