The fast food industry is one of the most resistant to unionization, but this month workers at a regional Burgerville chain restaurant voted to form a union. The union vote, held last week, garnered 82% and another union vote was set next month at a second Burgerville joint. The decision to unionize came after two years of failed efforts, consisting of boycotts and walkouts, by workers to improve wages and working conditions. Workers frequently experienced poverty and were paid an hourly rate of $11.70, just above minimum wage. The Burgerville union is affiliated with Industrial Workers of the World and has also attracted attention from the Service Employees International Union.
The restaurant chain has stated over social media that the are willing to work with the employees and that they are excited to be the first unionized restaurant chain. However, some members take a more cynical outlook against the restaurant, like Suisman, a union attorney, who notes that "there is a real reluctance by the employer to formally recognize the union." Others note that the restaurant is creating an empathetic and progressive facade while at the same time paying workers poorly.
Personally, I think that unionizing is a step in the right direction, at least for the short term, because from the article it's clear the workers have tried other options and must resort to this one. However, I am not sure if this tactic of unionizing will work for all of these large chain restaurants in general. Burgerville is one of the smaller chains and so unionizing there should be easier, as bad PR would hit them harder, whereas a large corporation could easier block unionizing.
Why do you think that workers in the fast-food industry in particular have taken so long to unionize, as compared to other industries? Will unionizing be possible for these fast-food workers, and how hard do you think the corporations will attempt to block it? Furthermore, do you think unionizing will be the long-term solution for the fast food industry?
5 comments:
I think that there is a stigma around the fast-food industry, that it is an unprofessional job and workers do not expect a lot of benefits from the job. I think this may be one of the reasons why it has taken the industry so long to unionize. I agree with Jason in saying that unionizing for this company specifically should be easier than others, but they still might face some resistance from the company. I don't know if this unionization will be effective in improving wages and working conditions. Higher wages for the workers could increase prices for the company which would not be ideal for the consumers and most likely not ideal for the company, so a wage increase may not be likely to occur.
I know exactly why the fast food industry has taken so long to unionize: corporations don't want to give benefits to their workers that they don't need to. By establishing the precedent that if you speak up for more benefits you will be immediately replaced is so well known to fast food workers it is almost second nature.
Portland, being one of the few places in the US more liberal than the Bay Area, makes sense as a starting place for a movement as such. When fast food chains start to have problems is when the workers who get hired are there start to feel entitled to such treatment as free health care and paid vacation days, which other chains don't have. To keep it plain and simple, as we learned in Economics, as input expenses rise for companies they won't lower their desire to turn a profit but the consumer will face the brunt of the increase in price most often.
When considering the resources of corporate fast food, this can only end poorly for the workers. I highly doubt this trend expands past Portland due to the vehement opposition from both consumers and brands as a collective.
I think the reason why the fast food industry is so resistant to unionize is that unions would mean increased costs for the fast food chain businesses. These businesses would not want to use extra time and money to assuage the needs of the union. It is much easier to suppress the wants of the workers by giving bonuses and such rather than having a negotiation that would lead to a bigger loss of money for the businesses as a whole.
Though unionization is a good first step, it is not the complete solution for these under payed workers. As we learned in economics, there is usually a surplus of people looking for work, meaning unionized workers could possibly be fired and replaced by others who would gladly take the low wages. I do not see a way this could possibly be fixed as these jobs are not as highly skilled as doctors or mechanics.
I agree with Alex Jun that if the fast food industry joined a union, the cost of the food business will increase significantly. They would have to spend more money than they already are. The fast food industry can give incentives to workers instead of having to join a union. Like they can pay extra during night shifts, give complimentary food, or even give bonuses during holidays. For the fast food industry, a union is simply not the best next step
I'd like to take prior comments objecting to unionization for this particular industry to it's logical extreme: that a fast food union would be a complete mistake, and that there's a reason why that this doesn't exist already. Unions are on the whole unnecessary and corrupt, and usually hurt the workers more than they do their employers.
First of all, this type of job is usually a short-term job. People don't stay in the fast food industry for more than a few years at a time, if that. Thus, the need for higher wages and benefits for workers are mostly unnecessary, given the nature of the labor force working in fast food industries. In addition, the vast majority of the people who work in fast food restaurants are working part time in high school, and for many, this isn't a central source of financial security for them.
Secondly, one reason why so many people are drawn to work is because of the ease of entry into that industry, compared to other jobs or professions. Compared to so many other jobs that might require a GED or even a college degree, the entry process consists of filling out an application, and a few weeks of job training. Unionization might lead to something common for most jobs: a requirement to be in a union in order to work. That's unfair, and limits the ease of entry for prospective workers.
Finally, let's not forget the nature of most unions: most unions are incredibly corrupt. At the time of this writing. The Department of Labor has investigated and prosecuted union leaders for embezzling more than $100 million in union dues since 2001. In addition, investigations by the Office of Inspector General has resulted in more than $1 billion in fines, restitutions, and forfeitures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half a million people are employed as cooks in the fast food industry. I don't trust a union with that many people.
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