APEngLangper711-12

You know something wrong when someone cannot even assemble a frozen hamburger. When all it takes is to season a burger and a worker cannot even accomplish that property, it means that the workers are not so passionate in performing well in their job, which leads to a conclusion that perhaps there aren't too many incentives for the employee to even bother trying. 

Yeha, it's ironic because the there are so many scandals that occur in the fast food industry already that the government ignores. Yet a worker is arrested for not seasoning a burger the right way. Ridiculous

See, it's all about da profit. Mickey D's can't even spend the money or time to teach its employees how to put seasoning on a premade and pre-flavored (by chemicals) patty. But I think it's even more pathetic that this guy got arrested for it.

Relating to every novel so far, it defines business. Pit the workers against each other so they don't notice that the corporations are the ones to blame. Workers get so focused fighting each other over jobs that they fail to see that it's the suppliers of the job that are manipulating them and using them.

This relates to all the novels we have read, the large amounts of workers in Cali. in GOW and the tactics of meatpacking industries to advertise the availability of more jobs than there actually are in The Jungle, for example. This allows workers to refrain from joining together, and allows the businesses to gain more power and profit as the working class continues to grow weaker.

The availibility of workers is not something that the workers themselves can control. It is, however, the main force working against them.

This article explains that the immigrants who work in our house as helpers or housekeepers today are no better off than immigrant workers hundreds of years ago. They have virtually no protection from exploitation. Whether a minority women working in a suburban home, or the immigrant working the tomato farms of Florida, laborers are bent at the will of their employer. Usually, this is not positive, as profit is usually the only goal for greedy business-people.

While Barbara Ehrenreich has a powerful quote in this article, Andy Sterns is much more so, "Well, the good news is this isn't Rwanda or Darfur or some impoverished country. This is the greatest country on earth with the greatest amount of wealth. The problem isn't about the wealth. It's about distribution. And the truth is we are seeing America's growing apart instead of growing together."

This quote epitomizes the problems that the American economy faces today. The rich keep getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. The problem is not a lack of wealth, but rather a deeper division between social classes. The ideals of this nation have not come to pass.

The rich are benefiting from the labor of the poor. The rich hardly have to work to make money anymore.

"Women earn less money than men, have fewer assets, and are far more likely to live in poverty. Furthermore, the gap between the rich and poor is growing wider."

The following article deals with women in the work force and more specifically their incomes. The article is relevent due to the fact Ehrenreich is a women in the work force. The article compares the wages of women and men to see discrepencies among the genders. The article deals with what women face as part of the labor force as well.

speaks to the unethical practices of many restaurant workers

The article is mostly statistics but, but it shows how widespread unethical business practices are. The fact that nearly a third of every statistic published is someone being underpaid and or forced to work unpaid overtime speaks to badly these workers are taken advantage of.

"Through her personal study, Ehrenreich sees the futility of the American dream as her various co-workers desperately attempt to break through their social strata and leave the life of the "working poor" behind. But housing and transportation costs, medical bills, and the price of basic needs create obstacles that are often insurmountable. "

This article deals with the American Dream. Many people start in the business world with the American dream of advancing through hard work. Through "The Jungle", Jurgis never succeeds by working hard. Ehrenreich also finds that working hard in America does not sustain a person. A person must struggle daily to survive.

"Ehrenreich then examines the general social issues underlying her experiences. The constant problem of housing is caused by the rich competing with the poor for living space, with the rich inevitably coming out on top."

The following article gives a brief summary of the novel. The article tells of Ehrenreich's purpose and method of finding minimum wage jobs to support herself. Ehrenreich comes to the conclusion that the cause of the terrible conditions of the poor class is do to social inequality. Social inequality leds to competition which always ends with one side losing to benefits the other.

This shows the negative consequences of the poor treatment of workers. The irony in this is outstanding as the coworker refuses to seek medical care for an injury that occured on the job so she wont lose his low wages from that same job. The author evokes the readers sympathizes and leaves them pitying the workers

This reminds me of the Jungle when Jurgis ruined his ankle in the slaughterhouses and then got fired from him job. It shows how industrial ethics have not changed at all.

The article deals with Ehrenreich's education and her years of investigative reporting. The article tells of a second undercover book Ehrenreich wrote, "Bait and Switch". It said that she could not find a middle management job after ten months of searching. Even the middle class gets the short end of the stick in the buisness world.

"...slamming the car into Michell and sending him to the hospital with a broken kneecap, a badly torn shoulder, and two herniated disks. Michell was so devoted to Wal-Mart that he somehow returned to work the next day, but a few weeks later... He was fired soon afterward,...to dismiss workers whose injuries run up Wal-Mart's workers' comp bills." This article shows a direct comparison to Fast Food Nation. Kenny Dobbins was also a loyal worker, and when injured on the job he was fired due to a request of compensation. Mike Mitchell caught 180 shoplifters in a two- year period, but when injured on the job, Wal-Mart did not have his back. The article shows the theme of profit over treatment of the worker. The article also has interesting facts/statistics about the middle and low class laborer of the modern day.

This article is about the disparity between the social classes. The article references "Nickel and Dimed" to emphasize the horrible jobs the lower class engages to make a linving. The article highlights the inequalities between the classes, and how "Nickel and Dimed" supports the theme of social inequality.

This compares Ehrenreich's book to Orwell's (who did a similar thing but took it more seriously) and speculates on possible consequences of the novel, pointing out a lack of a plausible solution.

"Why is an author who slams the "corporate overclass" suddenly so popular with the corporate overclass? The usual masochism of the affluent accounts for some of it. The rich like to be told they're wicked, both because it confirms that they're powerful and because it makes them feel slightly less guilty." This article explains why Nickel and Dimed has popularity, even with the upper class. The rich, while they still may be wicked in some regards, have come to accept this fact rather then shy away from it. By knowing and accepting that they are the fittest in Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest" theory, which has carried over to American Capitalism, they feel "that they're powerful". The article shows interesting perspectives on which types of person read the novel and for what reasons.

This is the "kill to birds with one stone" philosphoy but in a negative way. By the greed that pursues the corporations, it not only gives the workers poor conditions but endangers the lives of the consumers also. the lack of ethics which hurt the people are not important to making profits

It seems that no matter who the corporations had to degrade to make a profit they are willing to do it. They have absolutely no problem endangering anyone, whether its the workers with the inhumane conditions they are pressured into because of their economic circumstances or consumer because of their ignorance, the underlining message to the reader is that there is nothing they would not do.

This article, and the video attached, is truly remarkable. The workers that pick cheap produce for companies like Taco Bell are some of the worst paid in the nation. These workers banded together to rise up against Taco Bell and Yum! Brands, and won. The article talks about how they may have started a nationwide movement, as their success may be inspiring for other mistreated laborers for the giant fast food industry.

I agree that is is certainly something that the workers were actually able to pull out a victory, especially considering the opposition they face. In FFN when the reader hears about the failing attempt of the workers trying to unite and join a union the extremities that the corporations go through this seems to me to be more of a fluke then the start of a revolution.

"A Florida woman wrote to tell me that, before reading it, she'd always been annoyed at the poor for what she saw as their self-inflicted obesity. Now she understood that a healthy diet wasn't always an option. And if I had a quarter for every person who's told me he or she now tipped more generously, I would be able to start my own foundation." This is interesting to read because it makes one wonder how a human could be so heartless as to pay such low wages. Also since so many people, after learning about the suffering going on, tip more generously, then why don't the big bosses human up and pay their employees reasonable salaries.

"...and she examines how corporations often strip employees of their dignity. Random locker searches and drug testing occur despite what she routinely observes to be honest, hard working co-workers"

That's true. But if you don't keep your employees absolutely paranoid and full of stress, it's possible they might rebel or cause insurrections. So of course, you HAVE to oppress them and take away their pride so that they'll have no self esteem or confidence left.

I agree with Evan because this quote displays a business tactic in which companies continuously strip their workers' of their rights, which leave them with very little hope. However, as seen in GOW, this little bit of hope, along with their lack of money, will allow these workers to stick to their jobs in these environments.

This source shows the the government does not care about its food safety thus leading to the endangered lives of the workers and consumers. The government shows it evils by aiming for profits rather than helping the workers

I completely agree with what you are saying connor. It seems to be a consumer trying to better our eating standards is a losing battle, when you have some of the most powerful corporations and influential companies cooperating with the government it seems that there is now way to win even a marginal victory.

I can't even imagine not being able to afford a house with a kitchen. This really puts a new perspective on things, and adds to the sympathy felt for all the low wage workers.

"Ehrenreich stresses the physical difficulties in the kind of labor she performs for these experiments. Her health is often in jeopardy, and yet she cannot do everything in her power to heal and become well." For workers, a day off is not an option. No matter how bad their back pain is or how sick they feel, they must show up and give it their all, no matter what the price.

I agree, and this also shows the harsh treatment and conditions of workers in the workplace which result in these injuries. Also, a legitimate fear grips all the low class workers which prevents them from taking days off, due to the fact that they might be fired for it.

This article describes the changes in wages and working conditions for labor since 1900.

Haha the comparison of exotic dancers to lemonade stand kids is funny at the beginning. But, anyways, the way this article goes in to such great detail about the conditions helps to get a better understanding of how bad it still is to work in some of these places.