Here's a (not so) funny anecdote: I went to Italy years ago and got McDonald's equivalent of a double quarter pounder with cheese for shits and giggles. Dollar for euro, the price was about the same, if not a little cheaper, in Italy. Now couple that with the fact that Italians have access to healthcare, are paid a living wage, and have ample vacation pay.

These companies could pay their workers properly and provide benefits if they wanted to, they have the money. They don't because fuck you

This is an awesome victory for fast food workers and unions. People constantly shit on the folks working in customer service and kitchen jobs, but they are often gruelling and unpleasant. The people there certainly deserve it more than the CEOs and shareholders exploiting them (I mean, I'm against the entire structure, but if we're working within that structure, then ye ^.^).

Hopefully this will cause a push to higher wages across the board. California is expensive to live in, and $20 / hr is reasonable, but difficult, to live on.

For people who are afraid that raising wages will mean less people employed: for the most part, wage demand is pretty inelastic. Studies have shown that wages changes really don't mess with numbers employed that much. Most places only want to employ the least number of people they can already. They can't go lower, generally.

PA over here still having to eat human feces for lunch since minimum wage is still $7.50

Money is literally worth half of what it was when I graduated high school in the 90s. My senior year I worked as a grocery clerk and made $9.50/hr while in a small city in Oregon (not expensive California). Math works out for me.

cool, now give everyone a living wage, maybe a universal income, & you'll have solved poverty

Now what about the rest of everyone? There need to be regulations for everyone, including gig workers, to make more money.

Go after those who caused the increased cost of living not employees who are simply trying to survive because of it.

I wonder if McD’s “automated” franchises are the preemptive move by the company expecting more of this to happen. The writing was on the wall and they moved to compensate. They make a big deal of it like it’s some cool thing, but IRL they’re just reducing human overhead.

Out of all the pictures likely taken during the announcement they had to use the one with the Wendy’s gal picking her nose?