CHICAGO - McDonald's says it deserves a break from the unflattering way the latest Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary depicts its job opportunities. Among some 10,000 new additions to an updated version released in June was the term "McJob," defined as "low paying and dead-end work."
In an open letter to Merriam-Webster, McDonald's CEO Jim Cantalupo said the term is "an inaccurate description of restaurant employment" and "a slap in the face to the 12 million men and women" who work in the restaurant industry.
The company e-mailed the letter to media organizations Friday, and it also was published in the Nov. 3 edition of an industry trade publication.
Cantalupo also wrote that "more than 1,000 of the men and women who own and operate McDonald's restaurants today got their start by serving customers behind the counter."
McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain, has more than 30,000 restaurants and more than 400,000 employees.
Walt Riker, a spokesman for McDonald's, said the Oak Brook, Ill.-based fast-food giant also is concerned that "McJob" closely resembles McJOBS, the company's training program for mentally and physically challenged people.
"McJOBS is trademarked and we've notified them that legally that's an issue for us as well," Riker said.
A message left at Merriam-Webster's headquarters in Springfield, Mass., was not immediately returned Friday evening.
posted on November 9, 2003 06:33:32 PM new
Kids are lazy, and getting lazier
When was the last time a high schooler, or even jr high schooler was mowing lawns for money during the summer... and IF they do, they would charge as much or more than a proffessional gardener.
Ok I'm old, but remember kids in HS mowing lawns, or washing cars for money.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
The Continued Deterioration in the Summer Job Market for the Nation's Teens: The Long, Idle Summer of 2003
As a consequence of the national recession of 2001, the jobless recovery of 2002, and the “less jobs” recovery of 2003, seasonally adjusted summer employment rates for the nation’s teens have declined sharply over the last three years, down 8.5 percentage points from its cyclical peak of 45 per cent in the summer of 2000 (Chart 1). The decline in job opportunities for teens has affected every major demographic subgroup of 16- to 19-year-olds. Among male teens, the summer employment rate (not seasonally adjusted) fell from 52.6 percent to 41.5 percent between 2000 and 2003, a drop of 11.1 percentage points, while the employment rate of female teens fell by 8.7 percentage points over the same time period
posted on November 9, 2003 06:49:46 PM new
Kids are lazy, they don't want min wage jobs, somehow their parent(s)has made it so easy for them, that the idea of working for a living is a far off place...
Granted you brought up some inane statistics Helen, but NTS is right... how many kids get out and want to do mowing and other yard work...
Not very many.
posted on November 9, 2003 06:51:48 PM new
um, my adobe program isn't working
Anyway,just talked with my daughter... she said, that it was quite awhile since she worked at Burger King (similiar to McDonalds) and she made $5.85(maybe a little less, we're talking about '96 or earlier) and hr. Today, the minimum wage is $7.01 here, and that is what they pay at McD now. (here anyway)
As for benefits, most *kids* did not work full time, so no benefits, medical etc... she said the managers did get it, and they then made only $9 or $10 an hour. So no, they are not a high paying job.
As for the part you copied,(since I can't read the link you posted) what I posted, is what happened to being resourceful, or is that just not done anymore? Like mowing lawns, washing cars, that kind of thing?
We were more than willing to hire a kid to mow the lawn, but they were pretty busy this summer, with vacations, playstation, hanging out, and that kind of thing... these are not our kids. My kids are grown, moved out, and have their own jobs and own yard to take care of.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on November 9, 2003 07:00:33 PM new
Or, here's another one, that 'we' when we were much younger did. Babysitting. A lot of that. and the boys mowed lawns.
I know there are a lot of people that would be more than willing to hire kids to do yard work, they just plain do not want to.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on November 9, 2003 07:09:30 PM new
Most kids want full time jobs rather than occasional work such as washing cars and mowing grass. My kids and their friends always had a good job during the summer and a job throughout high school and college. Your statement that kids are lazy is just too general. All the kids that I know, in my neighborhood and the friends of my kids are very industrious and want good jobs. Maybe there's something in the air in Washington. LOL!
As far as mowing grass and washing cars, most people have contracts with a commercial landscape service or they mow their own grass and there's a car wash on every corner. So, it would be very difficult in this area to stay employed washing cars and mowing grass.
posted on November 9, 2003 07:30:52 PM new
Well, all I know is my kids, and their friends, were all working while in high school. Either at burger joints, McD's, Burger King, or something like that.
But that was quite awhile ago, now that my kids are older, and out of college, they have went on to get 'regular' jobs.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on November 9, 2003 07:40:08 PM new
I have one with a Phd and another working on a Phd. Although they have always had a job, they never had a job washing cars or mowing grass or babysitting. Does that make them lazy in your opinion?
Saying that kids are lazy because they choose not to mow grass and wash cars is simply wrong.
posted on November 9, 2003 08:16:06 PM new
Hello? Helen
I said my kids worked at burger places when in high school. I didn't say they mowed lawns.
I said, when you cite that there are no jobs for young people, ie; teenagers, then why cannot they be resourceful and do things like babysit or something?
That is great that your children are PhD's. You must be proud. I would be.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on November 10, 2003 07:30:18 AM new
Most of the teenagers I know can't wait to get jobs so they can have their own money to spend as they like. One of my friend's daughter insisted on putting in applications all over last year when she was 15--even though we told her no business would hire her until she was 16. They didn't--but one called her back this year & she is now working.
As for babysitting, I think it is becoming, bit by bit, a thing of the past for teenagers. I remember, that girls 12 & up used to be hired to do that. But now people have been convinced that it is practically child abuse to leave a teenager in charge of their children. Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on November 10, 2003 07:53:02 AM new
So much of McDonalds is automated and/or specialized down to a 10 minute training level that you cannot expect more than minimum wage for it. If it weren't for sanitation laws, you probably could train monkeys to do it.
There is a reason minimum wage laws exist. Some jobs are really only worth two or three dollars an hour. They may make more than that under minimum wage laws, but that doesn't mean they deserve it or the job is actually worth that much to the employer.
Kids today are more lazy than most realize. I sell games here in my store, and if I had a dollar every time a kid asked "what is this? What does it do?" when that information is clearly written on the package, I wouldn't have to actually SELL the things. They are too freaking lazy to read! I don't mean little kids either, I mean junionor and high-scool aged kids.
Assuming they CAN read... When they look right at the price tag and ask "how much is this?" you have to wonder about that.
And yeah, I did mow lawns when I was 12 years old and too young to get a real job. If eBay had been around then, I'd probably be rich by now
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
posted on November 10, 2003 08:42:13 AM new
As to babysitting should a parent hire a teen and anything happen, fire, flood whatever the parent would most likely be charged with child endangerment and lynched in the press.
AS to replays comments: shame on you anyone who is willing to perform a job or service for a given number of hour per week deserves a living wage as well as medical and all benefits. I'd hate to be your employee what do they get for the holidays a lump of coal?
Bob's your uncle.
Republican, the other white meat!
posted on November 10, 2003 11:17:16 AM new
Uh-oh. Now we're getting into politics again...
"shame on you anyone who is willing to perform a job or service for a given number of hour per week deserves a living wage"
Not necesarily. If a worker in a position "makes" $4 an hour profit for the company, why should they be required ot pay him $7 an hour? In a pure free-market, they wouldn't. They would pay something near what the job is worth, not what the government mandates. I have no gripe with minimum wage laws, although I would not agree that every employee or job really deserves that much.
"as well as medical and all benefits."
*I* don't have medical insurance. Why? Because no insurance company will accept me. I have high blood pressure, not some rare untreatable disease. Until insurance companies are required to offer reasonable insurance to everyone, statements like the above are just ridiculous.
But just be argumentative, why should it be up to ME as an employer to pay for my employees medical issues? They work for me, they aren't my children. Next thing you'll say the government should pay for health care. Both these solutions are wrong. The whole freakin health care system is a mess. We need to get rid of the lawyers and get medical rates down to where people should be able to handle their own health care needs.
"I'd hate to be your employee what do they get for the holidays a lump of coal?"
No, they get a nice large bonus for the holidays. We also start people well above minimum wage- but all the jobs here take a little training and education. It's easier for me to pay a decent wage to someone in their 20's or 30's than it is to train an unending flow of teenagers every other week.
They all make more money for the company than what we pay them, and raises are regular here. We treat everyone like family here, but this is a business.
But employees are like any other expense. If they aren't profitable, you need to make cuts.
Actually, right at the moment business is so bad that we don't have ANY employees- just real family. They work cheap, but sometimes that's the only option available. By the time you pay all the taxes involved, even a minimum wage person ain't cheap!
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
[ edited by replaymedia on Nov 10, 2003 11:22 AM ]
posted on November 10, 2003 02:41:23 PM new
McLazy McKids need to get off their McAzzs get a McJob to earn McBucks instead of relying on McDad & McMom for their McSpending McMoney.
"Another plague upon the land, as devastating as the locusts God loosed on the Egyptians, is "Political Correctness.'" --Charlton Heston
posted on November 10, 2003 04:40:27 PM new
Did Charleton Heston actually say that? No wonder the Democrats hate him so much.
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
posted on November 10, 2003 04:49:12 PM new
The McD's here pay the min. wage-$7.01 an hr. Now that isn't too bad...... for a kid, in school or summer job, living at home (and MOSTLY they are covered by their parents ins at this time of their life too)
How hard is it at McD's or Burger King???.. well, I can only go by Burger King, and quite awhile ago...as my daughter did that one... there are PICTURES on the till, so they don't really have to know math.
We have gone into these places, and Mike likes to dig up the change, say it comes to $8.57, he likes to 'get rid of the change' in his pocket, so he gives the kid a $10 bill and .57 cents. The kid is usually confused on how to give the change!
Then there is the dollar coin... everytime... we have to tell them, its a dollar, NOT a quarter, so they have to squint and read it... and go 'OH, I've never seen these'...............
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on November 10, 2003 06:17:19 PM new
"Then there is the dollar coin... everytime... we have to tell them, its a dollar, NOT a quarter, so they have to squint and read it... and go 'OH, I've never seen these'............... "
I dunno if that's a sign of age or experience. I've got both and make that mistake all the time. They really should make those things bigger. Remember the OLD silver dollars? No one ever confused those with a quarter!
What's you thoughts on the new 20's? I think they look "dirty" or stained.
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
posted on November 10, 2003 08:51:08 PM new
LOL, the new twenties... well, they look FAKE to me and then I had heard, not 3 weeks into circulation, that they WERE counterfeited!!! And they did all that color and security bar to make them harder to counterfeit! Go figure.
Nope, I don't like them.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on November 11, 2003 01:25:35 AM new
Whoever did the counterfeits was freeking brilliant. They had just enough features to make it close and put them out before many of the places hit had actually seen a new one to be able to tell the difference. They did an interview with the first place known to have recieved them and they said that they had recieved nothing to help them identify the new bills and even the secret service agents that were holding them said that they were good fakes and quite believable if you didn't know what the authentic ones looked and felt like.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on November 11, 2003 05:15:21 AM new
When I was 11-12 I dug worms and sold them to the fishermen. After awhile I started fishing and I'd sell the fish to the guys comming back who had caught none. Probably illegal.
When I was 14 I detailed cars for people. $25 each and had all I could do. That usually meant three a day so I was making $75 a day in the early 60's when many grown men were making $75 a week.
I high school I had a junky old Plymouth and would drag race for $50 a pop at night. The old junker had a superstock engine with dual big four barrels on a cross ram manifold - special everything including a beefed up tranny and full 3 inch exhaust pipes.
Only problem was at about 140 mph the windshield wipers would break and go straight up on the glass. I learned to tape them down. Had these weird big Swedish ambulance tires with a tread as soft as a gum eraser. Almost impossible to spin but they wore out in about 2000 miles.
Yet I was nothing compared to my little brother in law. He would not mow lawns - He'd get the job - hire another kid to mow it - inspect the job to make sure it was up to specs and then collect - cut his profit out and pay the kid off. He'd have a half dozen kids working for him the same day. Real little capiotalist.
did. Babysitting. A lot of that. and the boys mowed lawns.
