Essay - Unskilled Labor and Poor Wages in the Fast Food Industry...

Unskilled Labor and Poor Wages in the Fast Food Industry

INTRODUCTION

Americans spent more in 2001 on fast food than on "books, CDs, newspapers, magazines, and videos combined - about $110 billion," writes Julie Finnin Day in The Christian Science Monitor (***** *****). "What's *****," Day continued in her review of Eric Schlosser's book, ***** Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, "the golden arches are more universally recognized ***** the Christian cross." Moreover, ***** summarizes Schlosser's focus on how the labor force ***** the meat processing industry has changed, from skilled, unionized workers a generation ago to *****day's workforce in fast food restaurants, which is "mostly recent immigrants, many of whom are illiterate ***** non-unionized." ***** plight of those who work in the industry that provides chicken, beef, pork and o*****r *****s to the fast food industry "has met with public indifference and ***** secrecy - largely, Schlosser argues, because of their dark skin col*****."

In his book, Schlosser points out ***** fast food isn't just sold in ***** on Main Street USA, and on boulevards through***** urban America. Fast food is sold "at stadiums, airports, zoos, high schools, elementary schools and universities, on cruise ships, trains...K-Marts, Wal-Marts, gas stations and even at hospital cafeterias." It's frightening ***** read Schlosser's book and come to terms with the fact th***** a generation ago, "*****ree-quarters ***** ***** money used to buy ***** in the United States was spent" preparing meals in the home. But today, the author writes, "About half of the money used to buy food is spent at restaurants - mainly at ***** ***** restaurants."

There is no doubt that although millions ***** people eat (every day) at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell and the other ubiqui*****us fast food venues, the fast food industry has many negative aspects - negative health **********, social issues, and employment / wage *****. This paper will ***** those aspects in detail. Indeed, the fast food ********** influence on the ********** culture - including eating habits, obesity, and the incredible proliferati***** of ***** - and look into working conditions, low **********, and more.

MOTIVATIONAL PROBLEMS IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY

***** of the reasons that workers at fast food restaurants have poor morale is that workplace conditions are typically dirty and poor, and too often ***** emphasis is on speed rather than safety ***** quality of product. Being on an assembly-line type of food service gets boring fast, and leads to a lack of morale.

The creator of the McD*****ald's fast-food chain ***** Ray Kroc; but, according to George Ritzer's *****, The McDonaldization of Society, the real people who established the techniques of preparing ***** food for McDonald's customers were Mac and Dick McDonald, ***** opened the very first McDonald's in Pasadena, Cali*****nia, ***** 1937. ***** and Dick McDonald "based ***** restaurant on the principles ***** high speed, large volume, and low price," Ritzer explains in his book (Chapter 2) (p. 38).

***** of personalized ***** ***** traditional cooking techniques, the