Both California and New York have caved to the pressure from the “Fight for $15” crowd, who’s been fighting to get the minimum wage artificially increased to $15 an hour, and passed legislation that would gradually increase their states’ minimum wage to the demanded amount. Although, it may not have been the best idea, as workers at McDonald’s will soon find out.
The entire premise behind the Fight for $15 so-called “movement” is that even those with no skills deserve what’s called a “living wage” just for being a warm body that fills a job opening. So activists resort to picketing, bullying, and any other method at their disposal to try to force the government’s hand in raising the minimum hourly wage, which would artificially cause labor costs to skyrocket.
Although thanks to the free market, companies may not have to suffer too long from the draconian wage increases, as many private businesses are developing automation for jobs traditionally held by entry-level employees trying to work their way up the corporate ladder – a practice that’s been around since the dawn of time. One company in particular that’s experimenting with automation is McDonald’s, and in response to the wage hikes in the two liberal states, it rolled out self-serve kiosks to use for a test run for replacing their entry-level positions.
Yeah, you read that right.
McDonald's testing self-serve McCafe coffee kiosk in Chicago. https://t.co/vuKZdsrxyU pic.twitter.com/v2yyyelopX
— Joe McDonald (@Joe_McDonald) April 5, 2016
That picture is what happens when pandering politicians arbitrarily decide that someone flipping a burger should make as much as an EMT, a first-year police officer, a skilled construction laborer, a secretary, an entry-level fireman, a machinist, etc., and that picture should terrify every high school student, college kid trying to make an extra buck, single mom looking to make a little extra income, and anybody else who may hold a minimum wage position.