this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2024

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Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.

Our Goals

Higher wages for underpaid workers.
Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
Better and fewer working hours.
Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.

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Saw this and thought it was fake until I googled. It's real. (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

78 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The QR code https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRgHJDh2YtT1Nr4vy1SUtfQ3DUdbxpclfRNac__TaNbd2_lw/closedform

Another one: https://checkout.square.site/buy/YTYQH73P4O5P44TF2GI6SB6X

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[–] [email protected] 131 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (7 children)

~~Let me get this straight. These absolute psychopaths want you to:~~

~~Pay them~~
~~To employ~~
~~CHILDREN~~
~~AS YOUNG AS FIVE~~

~~Are you FUCKING joking with me right now what the FUCK is this dystopian hellhole bullshit~~

Okay, okay. I wasn't thinking clearly when I wrote this, it makes no sense for this to be a thing during opening hours. I think it's understandable why I read it that way, and I think at least a few others did too, but I can recognise I was wrong, that this is an actual "summer camp" kind of thing, and that the company isn't being cartoonishly evil here.

I do not doubt that whoever approved it thought that it might add to the crop of future applicants in a "butterfly effect" manner, and smiled at the thought, but it would be too much even to say that's a secondary goal.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Not that it’s better, but it’s not new

I did something similar as a kid in the 90’s at a papa johns

[–] [email protected] 29 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (9 children)

~~Christ. You're right that it's not better. Work experience I can get behind, apprenticeship I can get behind, but this is so blatantly exploitative and dangerous the only thing that surprises me more is that parents are dumb enough to fall for it.~~

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, just wanted to make sure people knew this wasn’t some new thing. It’s been going on since at least the 90’s, and I’d bet if you found someone older, they’d say it’s been going on longer

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Sure, but also I bet my kids would have a blast doing that for a morning.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

kids are dumb, they like things that we as adults wouldn't even consider 'enjoying', an afternoon behind the counter of a fast food restaurant they like going to would absolutely be a blast for a child. same reason why we had the macca's fisher price thing back in the 90s, or Barbie sets with real world grocery items, it's a different type of playground for them.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Define exploitative? As a person that had led these events (not organized them), work basically halts during these events. You are literally showing children how to operate machines. It's a show for the parents. The kids are not being exploited anymore than if you took them to a ranch and they brushed a horse. The children are not improving operations or efficiency. Bu all definitions, they make work worse.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

The flyer actually says they're going to train literal children how to work at Chick-fil-A.

There's not much room for interpretation there.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (2 children)

With respect, and I mean it. There is a world of difference between a kid brushing a horse and a training camp for a fast food joint. I mean, really?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (3 children)

They're training kids to be future workers.

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

The kids yearn for the deep fryer.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Employ? I might be missing some info but on this image, they only talk about learning. I am aware of some states legalizing child labor, but this could as well be nothing more than fun activity to discover how things work for kids, especially if they enjoy going there to eat, they may be curious about what happens behind the counter. I would like my kids to understand some of the work that happens before they can enjoy their meal.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

You're absolutely right, of course, they'd be insane to do this during opening hours for their restaurants. I overreacted. I gave an upvote, but here's a delta too: Δ

My only defense is Chick-Fil-A's atrocious record with regard to worker's rights, their already hiring actual children due to multiple states legalising child labour, my outrage at the children maimed or killed on the job at other companies, the image describing some of the basic duties of an employee, my extreme fatigue from being sick for five days and not sleeping at all last night, and the fact that it also seems like a way to glow up the experience to "get them early" so at least some of them will provide cheap exploitable labour in let's call it 3-7 years.

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[–] [email protected] 122 points 6 months ago (4 children)

Ok, I also don't like glamorizing a cooperation but I'll let folks in on something as a parent; kids genuinely are interested in occupational stuff, especially if they see it regularly. Just at Target, for instance, they sell kid sized target branded cashier make believe stuff. And I do mean branded, with all the store brand names and everything.

I'm not getting my kid this mostly cause I'd rather not support the brands, but I do think it's important to let kids know that it's ok to work these jobs if that's your deal. If anything, we as adults need to make the jobs give a living wage and not be expoitive, and to do that, you also have to teach the next generation that these jobs have value.

(And honestly, I prefer it over glamorizing police or military, which we've done with toys and events since forever!)

[–] [email protected] 32 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Astronaut camp is always lauded as a glamorous summer camp. But that's a job, and it takes a massive amount of dedication.

Only makes sense that other jobs might be desirable.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 months ago

I remember space camp! I was in 5th grade and they had a 2020 mission to Mars simulator. We all died.

I like to think there was a two way mirror with researchers on one side taking notes. "Don't send a team on 5th graders to Mars"

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago

i do feel like they could just skip the fucking cost for it, i get that they need to cover the food and tshirt and stuff, but also they are a massive corporation that is getting to propagandize to their future workers, so like maybe just eat that cost so it doesn't leave a dystopian aftertaste?

Put a different way: if a poor family is able to get their kid into this so the kid gets a free meal and a better shot at landing a job, that's probably the closest they can get to doing something wholesome.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago

This. Kids love "dramatic" play...that is, imaginative play in a costumed role.

Plenty of kids with day-glow vests and hardhats, nobody is knocking them. Plenty of kids with cop costumes, or cowboy hats, or spacesuits, or fireman jackets.

I agree with you entirely...it's a bit "weird" on the surface, but this is really great play for kids. Kids are absolutely interested in what happens behind the scenes (or at least behind the counter) and building independence by making their own snacks and stuff.

Just as long as they aren't having kids working at factory chicken farms. Because that would likely scar them for life. Then again, maybe they should.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Paying to train your kids to be a wage slave for a homophobic mega corporation? Sign me up /s

[–] [email protected] 75 points 6 months ago (1 children)

[–] [email protected] 34 points 6 months ago

For more irony: they're grooming kids to make them more accepting of exploitation.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 6 months ago (1 children)

30 5-year olds is a lot of 5 year olds

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago (2 children)

That reminds me of a joke. I'll change some of the words though. What's the best thing about having thirty five year olds working for you? there's thirty

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 months ago

Oh does this mean we can change all those _ _ _ _ baby jokes into labor baby jokes? What’s better than a baby working in a factory? A baby working in two factories!

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[–] otp 35 points 6 months ago (3 children)

I think it's very unlikely that the kids will be doing anything resembling work that's productive for the company.

At worst, this is glamourizing fast food and fast food jobs to children. But this isn't slave labour, lol

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Lol yeah, this will definitely be a net loss in productivity.

It is lame as a children's activity, but I could see some novelty in it, it's sort of like those Mr Rogers segments where they go behind the scenes at a factory.

[–] otp 6 points 6 months ago

Exactly. All 30 kids will probably love it. This probably isn't something that parents would sign their kids up for unless they genuinely think their kid would enjoy it, lol

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 6 months ago (3 children)

I worked at an ice cream shop in the early 2000s that did this for cub scouts. They had a great time and got free ice cream. It's not like we were actually making them work, lol. It's a novelty experience for children.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago

The children yearn for the mines.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 months ago

As per God's will, the children will not be fed on Sunday.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago

Only a slight step up from asking for volunteer workers (you did not misread that).

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago

Indoctrinate the younglings

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago

Who is "grooming" the next generation again?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

"Pay us for your free labor: APPLY NOW!"

Fucking unreal.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Does it include religious and corporate indoctrination?

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago

A training camp? To learn standards and techniques to an industry standard? But I thought fast food employees were unskilled workers?

[–] csm10495 11 points 6 months ago

As a kid this would have been fun for me. I think y'all are looking at this a bit off.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

It used to be that employers trained new employees. Then they wanted entry-level positions to be filled by people with 3-5y experience in the role. Now they want you to pay for your own training.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

I think they're missing "optional conversion therapy" on the activity list.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Sounds good actually. Wish it was with another company.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

$35 seems way under minimum wage. If I'm sending my kid for a whole day, they gotta be paid at least $12/h.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That's not wage for the kids, that's how much it costs to send your kids to this ~~summer~~ labour camp.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I know, I guess I should have used an "/s".

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

The children yearn for the fast food labour camps

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Yeah that sounds super fun for the kids. Not.

If they wanna pay me, I'd wear the cow suit tho.

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