President Trump may not have to deal with a forced $15/ hr. min wage fight after all…but he may have to find a way to replace jobs for millions of Americans thanks to the anti-capitalist left. We’re pretty sure Bernie Sanders understood the consequences of forcing a federally mandated minimum wage on fast food employers when he made fighting for a $15/hr. min wage the centerpiece of his campaign. Of course Sanders, who’s made a career in politics knew all too well that offering “free stuff” is a great way to gain votes. One has to wonder how all of those workers who believed in Bernie’s revolutionary plan will feel when they show up to work and find they’ve been replaced with a kiosk…
The fast food industry has been warning those demanding a $15/hr. wage that they could be easily replaced.
In the social sciences, unintended consequences (sometimes unanticipated consequences or unforeseen consequences) are outcomes that are not the ones foreseen and intended by a purposeful action. The term was popularised in the twentieth century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton.
“It’s cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who’s inefficient making $15 an hour bagging french fries,” former McDonald’s USA CEO Ed Rensi said in an interview on Tuesday on the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.” “It’s nonsense and it’s very destructive and it’s inflationary and it’s going to cause a job loss across this country like you’re not going to believe.”
According to Rensi, rising labor costs are forcing chains to cut entry-level jobs and replace workers with machines. Currently, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Panera are rolling out kiosks across the US, in part because of the rising cost of labor. –Business Insider
According to statista.com, in 2016, there were over 3.7 million people in the US who were employed in the fast food industry. When those jobs go away, where will these workers go for employment? Will they be forced to do the jobs that “only the illegal aliens will do?”
Wendy’s just announced their plans to install self-ordering kiosks at about 1,000 locations by the end of the year.
A typical location would have three kiosks, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Higher-volume restaurants will be given priority for the kiosks.
Wendy’s chief information officer, David Trimm, said the kiosks are intended to appeal to younger customers and reduce labor costs. Kiosks also allow customers of the fast food giant to circumvent long lines during peak dining hours while increasing kitchen production.
Trim estimates the company will see a return on its investment in less than two years.
“They are looking to improve their automation and their labor costs, and this is a good way to do it,” said Darren Tristano, vice president with Technomic, a food-service research and consulting firm. “They are also trying to enhance the customer experience. Younger customers prefer to use a kiosk.”
Customers will still be able to order at the counter for now, although Tristan predicts that mobile ordering and payment via smartphones will one day overtake self-ordering kiosks and cash registers. – Weasel Zippers, WMUR
