Capitalism is all about exploitation . I worked in a healthcare industry for 40 years that over time went from an all mom and pop industry to all of them being bought out and expanded by big national corporations. I was very lucky to be a very high paid employee , but that only happened because there was a perpetual shortage of physical therapists for most of those 40 years . The schools limited the amount of graduating students at a point where due to a shortage over decades we were treated with respect and high pay . The corporations couldn't have this ,so out out of the blue came the promotion and usage of lower wage P.T. assistants who were hired to do the work for 1/2 the pay . They made sure they got government agencies like medicare to accept this , paying the companies the same fees for service , but now paying employees less and reporting increased profits. Good for PTAs with a 2 year degree , but P.Ts now have to have 4 years of undergraduate school and 3 years beyond that to work for less opportunity than I had. It's all about exploitation where they can get away with it and I salute those in low wage jobs who don't want to take that crap anymore. I know I was one of the lucky ones in my working life , but i have experience with national chains who put on a happy face , but truly don't give a damn about you . I only survived due to worker shortages for decades.
When I was 20 and still in college, I mentioned to our Matre'd that I was considering the restaurant business. I was working in an internationally-famous restaurant. Both the owner and the chef (who previously was head chef at Chicago's posh Ambassador East Pump Room) were grooming me, and I was occasionally being asked to scout competitors for innovations we might wish to consider. So I was shocked when John replied; "are you out of your mind?"
In his late 50s, John had joined us from a major hotel chain. He reminded me that aside from the brutally out-of-step hours with the rest of the world (you do work holidays), that most restaurants - even franchises like McDonalds, Denny's, or Outback are sole-proprietorships. That meant your job security, pay, and benefits were at the whim of the owner. He also reminded me that employee turnover was a chronic distraction and cost. Then there were the payoffs to certain elements to ensure your liquor license was not sabotaged and that your meat supplier always had prime everything when you needed it. Lastly, of course was the admonition that you could make more money as a middle manager in any corporation. I eventually became a psychologist.
In short, workers affirm that being treated like complete garbage is awful and undignified, and they were vastly underpaid, forced to work degrading jobs entirely because our society is structured to create a massive and desperate underclass. So realizing that, in fact, there's a ridiculous amount of money and resources available for everyone to live a decent life sort of changed up the equation.
However, all of these people are looking for better jobs, getting an education, or doing both. They're able to use that unemployment cash to boost their career trajectory and find something that will be higher paying than restaurant work. In order to compete, it seems like restaurant work will need to become higher paying itself and restaurants will need to become more efficient.
Or that much of the restaurant workforce is underemployed, and covid enabled workers to seek jobs that better meet their skill set, and treat workers more fair and equitably
Boy did you get the wrong lesson- for years they've been told if they don't want to be underpaid, then ita up to them to not agree to it. Well, here they are taking that advice.
So in short, workers affirm the restaurant industry doesn't pay them what they're worth, especially in a pandemic, and they're going to look for better options.
Capitalism is all about exploitation . I worked in a healthcare industry for 40 years that over time went from an all mom and pop industry to all of them being bought out and expanded by big national corporations. I was very lucky to be a very high paid employee , but that only happened because there was a perpetual shortage of physical therapists for most of those 40 years . The schools limited the amount of graduating students at a point where due to a shortage over decades we were treated with respect and high pay . The corporations couldn't have this ,so out out of the blue came the promotion and usage of lower wage P.T. assistants who were hired to do the work for 1/2 the pay . They made sure they got government agencies like medicare to accept this , paying the companies the same fees for service , but now paying employees less and reporting increased profits. Good for PTAs with a 2 year degree , but P.Ts now have to have 4 years of undergraduate school and 3 years beyond that to work for less opportunity than I had. It's all about exploitation where they can get away with it and I salute those in low wage jobs who don't want to take that crap anymore. I know I was one of the lucky ones in my working life , but i have experience with national chains who put on a happy face , but truly don't give a damn about you . I only survived due to worker shortages for decades.
When I was 20 and still in college, I mentioned to our Matre'd that I was considering the restaurant business. I was working in an internationally-famous restaurant. Both the owner and the chef (who previously was head chef at Chicago's posh Ambassador East Pump Room) were grooming me, and I was occasionally being asked to scout competitors for innovations we might wish to consider. So I was shocked when John replied; "are you out of your mind?"
In his late 50s, John had joined us from a major hotel chain. He reminded me that aside from the brutally out-of-step hours with the rest of the world (you do work holidays), that most restaurants - even franchises like McDonalds, Denny's, or Outback are sole-proprietorships. That meant your job security, pay, and benefits were at the whim of the owner. He also reminded me that employee turnover was a chronic distraction and cost. Then there were the payoffs to certain elements to ensure your liquor license was not sabotaged and that your meat supplier always had prime everything when you needed it. Lastly, of course was the admonition that you could make more money as a middle manager in any corporation. I eventually became a psychologist.
Don't forget we have to claim tips.. or the IRS is up your ass.
In short, workers affirm what the restaurant industry has cited (that unemployment benefits are keeping people away from returning to work)
In short, workers affirm that being treated like complete garbage is awful and undignified, and they were vastly underpaid, forced to work degrading jobs entirely because our society is structured to create a massive and desperate underclass. So realizing that, in fact, there's a ridiculous amount of money and resources available for everyone to live a decent life sort of changed up the equation.
However, all of these people are looking for better jobs, getting an education, or doing both. They're able to use that unemployment cash to boost their career trajectory and find something that will be higher paying than restaurant work. In order to compete, it seems like restaurant work will need to become higher paying itself and restaurants will need to become more efficient.
When you give people an alternative to the abject misery that is the service industry, they’ll take it. Imagine that.
Or that much of the restaurant workforce is underemployed, and covid enabled workers to seek jobs that better meet their skill set, and treat workers more fair and equitably
Boy did you get the wrong lesson- for years they've been told if they don't want to be underpaid, then ita up to them to not agree to it. Well, here they are taking that advice.
So in short, workers affirm the restaurant industry doesn't pay them what they're worth, especially in a pandemic, and they're going to look for better options.
No, it confirms that substandard wages are keeping people from returning to work.