Activists ended their two-day protest outside McDonald's Oak Brook, Ill., headquarters after the shareholders meeting on Thursday, but the pay issue they raised shows no signs of going away.
At Thursday's annual meeting, McDonald's CEO Don Thompson touched ever-so-briefly on the issue, even as 800 protesters outside marched to cement their $15-per-hour wage demand in the minds of investors in attendance. On Wednesday, an estimated 1,500 protesters gathered on the company campus, and 139 were arrested for intentionally crossing a police barricade.
"We respect the fact that they want to challenge us relative to wages," Thompson told some 350 shareholders at the unexpectedly high-profile meeting. "We pay fair and competitive wages and we provide opportunity, and we provide job opportunities and training for those entering the workforce."
For McDonald's, the current strategy is clear: publicly position the company as a great first employer for young workers. Even as it avoids specifically addressing the minimum wage issue, it is eager to portray McDonald's as a great job and job-experience enabler for young folks in an uncertain economy.
"McDonald's is often a first job for many entering the workforce," Thompson said. "About one-third of our employees are 16 to 19." Thompson also noted that 60% are age 24 or under — and 70% are part time. "We are proud that we open doors to opportunity."Read the rest of the story HERE.
If you like what you see, please "Like" us on Facebook either here or here. Please follow us on Twitter here.
No comments:
Post a Comment