The Things You Carry

Robble robble

I woke up yesterday craving cheeseburgers. But not big gourmet cheeseburgers or homemade, fresh-off-the-grill cheeseburgers. I’m talking greasy, lard-infused fast food cheeseburgers.

Don’t worry. I’m going somewhere with this. 

I went to McDonald’s and got one of those value menu double cheeseburger things which, at 440 calories (210 from fat), disturbingly did not sate my burgerlust. So, a few hours later I hit a Wendy’s for another cheeseburger and a small Sprite.

First of all, there’s no way that a 20-ounce drink should ever be called “small.” Secondly, let’s take a look at fast food.

Fast food is a big industry with some big issues. So big, in fact, the New York Times Web site has given fast food a whole topic category in their archives. Take a scroll through that link - after you’re done reading my ramblings, of course.

In 2006, there were more than 3 million Americans employed as fast food and counter workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is expected to go up to more than 3.5 million by 2016. That’s a 17 percent jump, buddy boy.

Now the BLS estimates for the category of “Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food” show that, averaged out, these folks made $15,930 a year in 2006. Now, according to the 2006 federal poverty guidelines, that person wasn’t poor - provided they lived alone. If that was the income for a family of three, however, they were living in poverty back in 06.

The $15,930 number is misleading, though. That category of workers includes waiters at fancy restaurants, lunch ladies, bartenders, bar backs, folks working at food kiosks, etc. The highest-paid workers in that category can make nearly $14 an hour.

Most fast food workers make minimum wage. The federal level is $5.85 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Luckily, fast food workers - at least fast food workers who work for businesses that make at least $500,000 a year - fall under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If not for this, they would be subject to the minimum wage each state sets. These can vary. For example, Kansas’ minimum wage is the lowest in the nation. I checked this out at like four different places because I couldn’t believe it. Kansas’ minimum wage is $2.65 an hour. Don’t believe those U.S. stats? Let’s hear it from Kansas itself.

Screw you, Kansas.

But even though they have to make at least $5.85 an hour, at an average of $6.81 an hour, fast food cooks were the lowest paid profession in Kansas, Kansas reports.

So in a state with a minimum hourly wage that wouldn’t even buy a gallon of gas, fast food cooks are the lowest of the low.

OK, so working for a fast food joint is a crappy job. Who didn’t know that?

Either way, here’s the point. McDonald’s 2006 annual report state that the company took in $21.6 billion in revenues that year, returning $4.9 billion to shareholders. Poor little Wendy’s only took in $2.4 billion, according to their 2006 annual report. Burger King barely broke $2 billion.

That’s a lot of moolah that’s not going back to the workers who made it. Think of that next time you’ve got a burgerlust.