When you work a low wage job, you often have to be near your deathbed in order to take a day off without getting fired. Even if the company you work for has a reasonable policy in regards to sickness or injury, many workers drag themselves to work despite their condition because losing even one day's wages can put a serious crimp in an already too lean budget.
While most white collar jobs include paid vacation and sick days, many blue collar and most low wage jobs do not. It is a luxury one can only dream about!
According to an article posted on AlterNet, "Union-Busting: Six Fired After Demanding Sick Days for Fast-Food Workers," this issue isn't simply a labor one -- it has as much to do with safeguarding public health as anything else!
On any given day across this country, I'm guessing there are thousands of sick fast food workers handling your next meal. Mmmmm. Doesn't that sound appetizing!!
While most of the focus of the mainstream media is on the possibility of contracting salmonella or other food borne illnesses from your fast food salad, burger and fries, it is not unlikely that a lot of consumers catch the flu or a cold from that very food. And this will keep on happening as long as fast food workers are not provided with paid sick leave.
While most white collar jobs include paid vacation and sick days, many blue collar and most low wage jobs do not. It is a luxury one can only dream about!
According to an article posted on AlterNet, "Union-Busting: Six Fired After Demanding Sick Days for Fast-Food Workers," this issue isn't simply a labor one -- it has as much to do with safeguarding public health as anything else!
On any given day across this country, I'm guessing there are thousands of sick fast food workers handling your next meal. Mmmmm. Doesn't that sound appetizing!!
While most of the focus of the mainstream media is on the possibility of contracting salmonella or other food borne illnesses from your fast food salad, burger and fries, it is not unlikely that a lot of consumers catch the flu or a cold from that very food. And this will keep on happening as long as fast food workers are not provided with paid sick leave.
I completely agree with you but wonder if this is going to require something highly contagious and dangerous (norovirus? measles? scarlet fever? typhoid? a new strain of tuberculosis?) being passed to customers in order to make enough middle and upper class people care about this issue to fight for change.
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