restaurant employees and union

When working for a company, it is very crucial to have union, especially when working for a company where your life can be in danger, or if not danger then where you could be treated unfairly by the company. As a result, when having union, you will be marked for sure that union will be behind you for 24/7. However, some companies don’t like to have union for their employees, especially multi billion companies like Burger King, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and many others. Fast food restaurant employees should be unionized because they are being abused and treated unfairly

In United States, fast food restaurants are one the fastest growing industries that roles the Americans’ economy. Everyday it serves millions of customers per day , possibly more. These restaurants possesses about millions of employees, majority employees are foreigners. These employees are hard working employees. Their works are intense everyday whether if it is a busy day or not. For instance, I myself worked at Burger King and McDonalds. There are no differences between these two chains. Everyday I would hassle to serve customers. Often time, during the rush hours, would lead to frustrations and confusions because you’re constantly on active from the moment you walk into the kitchen and after taking one 30 minute break. The duties are always multitasked. Even if you finished with your work, the managers will find something for you to do. Specially when it comes to cleaning part, you have to do more than one cleanings a day.

First, in fast food restaurants employees are being victimized to work for free by not paying for overtime, or not being paid at all by managers to save labors. In a report by Steve Miletich says, “ In a verdict that could cost Taco Bell millions of dollars, a King County Superior Court jury yesterday that the California-based fast-food chain deliberately cheated its hourly workers in Washington state forcing them to work off the clock and forgo overtime pay. This is true because this same scenario happened to myself as well only think that did not take place was court part. When I worked at Burger King, the managers cut my hours many times because either I made my 40 hours, or I exceeded over 40 hours, which is over time, that company supposed to pay for time and a half because of making overtime. For instance, once, one of the manager asked me to stay for next shift because one of the employees called out sick, so I stayed, just to make extra earnings. As the day of the pay, which was Friday, arrived, I looked at my check, there were no overtime pay nor were there any overtime hours. However, I did not make any complaints because I did not want to cause any sort of disputes, which I thought could lead me to distrust. This also happened to many of my colleagues. If we had union they would not have cut our hours, or even steal our working hours.

Second, every year, employees work at fast food chains are injured when handling restaurant equipments. The common types of injuries are slipping and falling, chemical burning, and getting cuts; the most popular injuries are oil and fire burns. In a report that was conducted by Sonny Inbaraj wrote, “ Joe, a 16-year-old students, is employed as a kitchen hand at a fast-food outlet here on a casual part-time basis. On one occasion he was injured by fire, but his boss told him it was his own fault and ordered him to keep working to serve the customers.” It is very hard to avoid this type of injury when you are surrounded by fry machines throughout the shift because 1st you are dropping food and taking food out from oil, and 2nd you are cleaning more than one machine in same time. For instance, when I worked at Burger King I was burned almost all the time when cleaning the fry machines. Those machines are no joke because sometime they can be very dangerous if properly not handled or careful. For example, one busy ,summer day, I was told to clean all the fry machines quickly due to employee shortness. At that time, it was my 2nd working week, with short knowledge about the restaurant’s equipments, but I was confident to complete the job. However, that assuredness did so little to help me avoid the flame that burst from the machine because I had forgotten to lock a cover where the oil comes out from. Luckily, I was not burned due to my 1 feet away from the fryer, not scabbing or cleaning. What if there weren’t any luck, then I would have been hospitalized. Probably ,still, would be sitting at this very moment and writing this essay with a thousands of dollar hospital bill without any union to back me up.

In conclusion, having union in fast food restaurants for employees not only can make a differences, but can save those workers from getting hours cut, and from getting injured. More importantly, this can stop these chains from any other types of nonsense.

References:

Steve Miletich. " Taco Bell Is Found Guilty Of Worker Abuses." Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 9, 1997, Wednesday, Final

Sonny Inbaraj." Labor-Australia: Fast-Food Workers Seek Union." IPS-Inter Press Service. June 16,2004, Wednesday.

Annotated Bibliography # 2

Lauren Dundes, Tamiko Swann “ Food safety in fast food restaurant.” Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, Vol. 7(2), 2008

This article first introduces the passage by informing that the customers are less concern about the safety of their food when eating in restaurants. In the introduction, it indicates that because of little experiences, the author interviewed a college restaurant working employee to gain more information. First paragraph, starts by stating that violations comes from poor hygiene, cleanliness, food handling, and sanitation. Because of low wage, employees are less concern about their doings. Second paragraph begins by giving numbers of violations which caused illnesses of malfunctions of ice cream machine. In the third paragraph, it uses a procedure by using information given by 3 restaurants working college student. The student described about her experiences in each chains. She gives details about how the trainings does not come effective because the training video is boring; second, the managers let whatever employees do, especially about food concerns. Third, at her third job, she had no trainings when she started working at the cafeteria. Fourth paragraph, she goes detailed about food temperature, how foods are being reused when cooked., how foods are barely looked after by employees. College student attaches about contamination. When employees handle food they are reluctant to change their gloves and wrongly using utensils when cooking. Hand washings are is the biggest problem. The author gives his opinion about what he thinks every chains must do in order to prevent mistakes. For instance, he sates that chains must train their employees properly and tell every chains to have certified food safety managers. The author concludes that the employees follow the rules and regulations. And if managers employ the rules it can minimize the health risks.

Applied Foodservice Sanitation. A certification Coursebook fourth edition: contamination and food borne illness. 1993

In this chapter of contamination and food borne illness, it begins by stating the three types of dangerous reliable for food outbreaks. The three types are biological hazards, chemical hazards, and physical hazards. Each of these hazards are explained in details. For instance, biological hazards gives details about the types of bacteria it carries, and explains each one, what it dose, how it grows, when it grows, and gives a usual case, and how it can be control. It gives details about chemical hazard. It explains 4 types of chemicals detergents, preservatives, acidic, and toxic metals. It gives details about each. Pesticides is a chemical that is sprayed to kill insects in food which can be harmful, foodservice cleaning chemical are o be away from food. Explains about additives and preservatives that are added to favor and ingredient the food for not to decay and to flavor the food which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and asthma attacks. Metal-lined causes problem with acidic food items.

Vasal Anne, " How safe is our meat?" Mother Earth News, Dec 96/Jan 97.

This article introduces by stating how Upton Sinclars' book, The Jungle, has influnced government to pass a law in meat industries in 1906. However, he states that the law did not come to effective in new century. The next paragraph describes how 80,000 chicken are over crowded in a warehouse, causes themselves sick, and deaths. Next paragraph, describes antibiotics given to chickens to grow harmone can result salmonella, which can disable chicken and disease, or infection with cancer name Leukosis. Feeding chicken wastes to gain weight , can contaminate chicken with salmonella. Then, next paragraph talks about after sperm taken from male cows to implant the sperm into female cows are isolated from other cattles so that the cows can be fattened up by steriods. Next paragraph, talks about harmone growth residues can be transfer bacteria into human's body. Next paragraph, talks about the conditions in slaughterhouses. How employees are understressed and their working conditions can lead to many sanitary mistakes, for instance, workers pick up meat from floor and puts it back for meat processing, also it talks about government inspectors can't do much except reading, writing and negotiating with planters instead of giving summons or fines. It explains governments do not want to interfere because government do want to slow down the pace of meat processings. In conclusion, the author gives tips where to buy whole foods, and meats. The author mentions about Kosher, and Amish poultry, where can buy natural chicken. The author gives warning about labels, that poople read the labels about where meats are originated before buying meats.

Karen Olsson, " The sham of meatpacking" The Nation, September 16, 2002.

The introduction starts by IBP meat industry. A worker name Maria Martinez was called in the office because Maria was not in her speed in the assembly line. Then, thirty of other worker decided to to involved. Many of the workers refused to get back to their duties when they were told to returned to their duties by the supervisor. Workers were told they were all fired, which resulted strike for five weeks. After, workers were defeated, they lost their $1.50 an hour pension. Next paragraph, the author describes that this had happened before when IBP and Excel meat industries paying workers low wage and when there shortage of employees. The following paragraphs, the author paraphrase what Eric Schlossers' "Fast Food Nation" about the conditions these workeres are employeed in most dangerous job. The author
The author states talks about employees who are immegrants can't speak English; and because of their language bariers, the employees will not open their mouth about any sanitary conditions. This is why meat industries hire immigrants; indistries also hire them because of law wage. The author states that workers are being disrespected by employeers. They are forced to work with covered in diarrhea because workers are not allowed to go to bathroom. Because workers quits or get fired due to the these working conditons, workers reluctant to follow their sanitation policy, for instance, the author states that worker do not have time to wash the dropped knife because they have to keep up with the assembly pace. In conlusion, the author says that consumers should care what is going on these meat packing industries because we are the meat consumers. And to alter those industries, we need be aware to inform what is going on.

Michael Moss, "The Burger That Shattered Her Life" The New York Times,October 3, 2009

In this news article, a victimized a dance instructor name Stephanie Smith was in coma when she was forced to put in coma because of terrible pain which she was suffering. Her diarrhea was bloody. when shevrecovered from coma, she paralyzed all becuase of eating burger, a burger which was contaminated with E Coli that her mother made.The reporter states that the there had been many other outbreaks and deaths , including Jack in the Box restaurant in 1993. The burger is not made from one animal but different other animal from different slaughterhouses. The meat was grinded by Cargil meat industry. the industry uses ammonia in meat trimming to kill bacteria.USDA states that the meat industries must inspect the meat before the meat is shift, but that hardly ever happens. The article states that many meat indistries only sells meat if the grinders agrees not to inspect for E coli. The article indicates that people wash hands and epuipments throughly.

Annotated bibliography 1

Robert Cribb, Toronto Star.(September 25, 2003): Meat processors cited for food safety violations. The Toronto Star.
This news article states that in Toronto out of 48 about 8 planter were under violation of sanitation, and food handling. Violations included: food contamination, employees not hand washing, uncleanmliness of facilities, and maintenance issues, not having divided hand washing sinks, and unclean appliances which can lead to food contaminations. It also states how each violators are given different types of violation tickets, not fines. The violators must fix the issues within hours of twenty-four to forty-eight. However, the health department do not always inspect the food corporations.

E. d. William Dudley. Sand Diego: Greenhaven press 1999: Consumers should practice safe food-handling habits to prevent illnesses.
This article first introduces the point of view from the American Council on science and Health of what type of bacteria causes food poisons. And gives arguments how being aware can prevent food sickness when consuming it, and increasing the price of food can raise in order to alter the food structures to decrease food sicknesses. After, it explains in details about the foods outbreaks; what each types of outbreaks can do to the body. Second, it explains what and how improperly handling the food can cause food infection. It gives details about the quality of food deals with the amount of money people spent on food. In conclusion, it gives the over view to follow the sanitation rules and regulation can not always stop the spread of bacteria, nor when consuming can never be “risk-free.”

Phaedra Hise (April 2004). Orange Alert protect your self from food borne.
In this passage, the author explains the same contaminations carries in the “produce and meat.” it estimates how many out breaks there were from meat to vegetables and fruits from 1999 to 2000 that caused deaths and caused people to go under medical treatment. Processing vegetables unwashed can infect the vegetables. The author quotes from Dimatteo’s organization that not to rinse vegetables with any sort of chemicals because it can observe it.

Applied foodservice sanitation: certification course book fourth edition updated with FDA (1993)
In the chapter, the safe food handler, begins by how employees, who work at restaurants
,are held reliable for contaminating the food, and how with right trainings can help the contamination of food before serving it to the consumers by steps. In each sections, the chapter states when employees are sick or injured can transfer those consequences to the foods. Next section talks about what ways to prepare employees to do their duties in order to avoid health risks. The third section explains in details about employees “hygiene,” and keeping the restaurant in clean environment.

Hailu Kassa, Ph.d., M.P.H., M.S.O.H. An Outbreak of Nowalk-like viral gastroeteritis in a frequently penalized food service operation: A case for mandatory of food handlers in safety and hygiene (December 2001)

This article introduces by giving numbers of estimation of how many people were effected by different types of food borne, and caused by eating outside food. And explains how food makers can spread food viruses. Last paragraph of the introduction gives a scenario about a Christmas outbreak. After introduction, people who were at Christmas party were investigated by graphic. 137 people were examined, found that they were sick because of the consuming of the food because the food were not properly handled and because of employees’ hygiene. In conclusion, it is stated that poorly handle food and improper training can cause food borne.

Corn controls the all food consumption.

It is surprising and electrifying to hear that what we consume in our almost every day of our food contain same type of material. And that is corn. Corn is being added to what we eat everyday from sweetened drink to dressings to bread. As a result, people are becoming obesse.

Can one penny really make Bloomberg trillionaire?

As New York City Mayor trying to tax people from buying soda, it is bringing so many disputes, and conflicts in whether to tax the soda or not to tax the soda. Forget all of the controversy, the real question, at least in my perception, should be asking ourselves is whether this tax can stop or prevent people from buying soda, or are we equally going to put money inside these legislators’ pockets? To my understanding, the answer is indeed, yes, we will be feeding those bureaucrats.

First, Jane E. Brody who works at science desk section for The New York Times said,“NEW York State, among others, is considering an excise tax of about one penny per ounce on high-calorie sweetened beverages” in the title of "A Tax to combat America’s Sugary Diet". No matter how much the tax will be, one penny, one dollar or two dollars for whatever ounces, people still will buy it unless the tax is for hundred dollar, than in that case, you will have to be a filthy rich to dispose money like that. How much common sense this can be, if your thirsty and want to try something different because sometime it is difficult to have same thing every day, especially when your eating pizza, or chicken; so wouldn’t you spend one cents or extra dollar when you’re hungry or thirsty? Realistically speaking, I would buy it because it is still cheap. For instance, when my friend and I go out every weekend to chill out, we would go to pizzeria or fast food restaurant to eat something quick. Since we eat outside, we always get different drinks, but majority of the time we would drink soda. If the law dose get passed, we still would buy it because it will be only for few changes. Therefore, can this few cents really stop people from buying these “sugary consumption” interms of economic wise?

Second, can this few cents per ounce really stop obesities? A.G. Sulzberger, another journalist from New York Times, from title “Bloomberg Says a Soda Tax ‘Makes Sense’ said, “ Mr. Bloomberg noted research suggesting that such tax would reduce consumption of the sugary drinks, driving down obesity rates and the accompanying medical costs.” What I really don’t understand is how is this going to stop obesities? If tobacco cannot be stopped from smoking, which is not only a dangerous substances, it is also a risk in giving away a life into death, how can Mayor. Bloomberg can stop people from drinking soda, which is less riskier than smoking tobacco, and can be prevented, where as smoking, once you get cancer, or any other sicknesses, that is it your life is in dead end.

So in conclusion, if Mayor. Bloomberg is so concern about peoples’ health or any other mater, he needs to give better thought, and stop taking peoples’ money and waste it unnecessarily because there are millions of people who are living in the street, and people who can't pay for their Medicaid.

Jane E. Brody,"A Tax to Combat America's Sugary Diet." The New York Times. April 6, 2010
A.G. Sulzberger,Bloomberg Says a Soda Tax 'Makes Sense.' The New York Times. 03/08/2010