America's 4 million fast-food workers average pay hovers around a miserly $300 a week before taxes.
In a landmark study, two prominent labor economists at Princeton found that these secret bans on wage competition are used by more than 70,000 chain restaurants, including Burger King, Carl's Jr., Domino's and Pizza Hut. By colluding to prevent millions of Americans from switching jobs to increase their incomes and opportunities, these giants have artificially kept the pay of fast-food workers and many other franchise employees stuck at poverty levels.
A Los Angeles Times report revealed that, even if they receive the legal minimum wage, many farm laborers earn less than $17,500 a year because of their poverty-level paychecks and the seasonal nature of their work. Moreover, they are often "housed" in shacks, old chicken coops, shipping containers, and squalid motels.
In Texas, the agency responsible for safe and sanitary migrant housing spent a grand total of $2,476 on inspections in 2015. The agency has imposed zero fines for housing violations since 2005. "As a result," the Austin American-Statesman reported, "an estimated 9 in 10 Texas migrant farmworkers lack access to licensed housing that meets minimum health and safety standards required by state and federal law."
Workers can resist if they organize.
United Farm Workers at ufw.org.
In a landmark study, two prominent labor economists at Princeton found that these secret bans on wage competition are used by more than 70,000 chain restaurants, including Burger King, Carl's Jr., Domino's and Pizza Hut. By colluding to prevent millions of Americans from switching jobs to increase their incomes and opportunities, these giants have artificially kept the pay of fast-food workers and many other franchise employees stuck at poverty levels.
A Los Angeles Times report revealed that, even if they receive the legal minimum wage, many farm laborers earn less than $17,500 a year because of their poverty-level paychecks and the seasonal nature of their work. Moreover, they are often "housed" in shacks, old chicken coops, shipping containers, and squalid motels.
In Texas, the agency responsible for safe and sanitary migrant housing spent a grand total of $2,476 on inspections in 2015. The agency has imposed zero fines for housing violations since 2005. "As a result," the Austin American-Statesman reported, "an estimated 9 in 10 Texas migrant farmworkers lack access to licensed housing that meets minimum health and safety standards required by state and federal law."
Workers can resist if they organize.
United Farm Workers at ufw.org.
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