Introduction
I. Attention-getter: I was once working as a host for a climbing gym, doing simple task such as checking people in and out at minimum while thinking: “Man I don’t get paid enough for this.”
II. Credibility statement: I’m sure many of us have had some form of a job before, but we do not realize that many lives are actually very dependent on the jobs they have.
III. Oppositional Thesis: Because “union activists” are demanding a higher minimum wage, McDonalds has found a greater incentive to replace its minimum wage workers with machines.
IV. Thesis statement: This article is misrepresenting the problem because as we move toward an age of more technological development and automation, the incorporation of machines into businesses…show more content… Main Point I: WSJ seem to believe only McDonald was victimized
A. Sub point #1: The Journal begs-the-question by assuming that implying that such jobs are “not meant to raise an entire family”, and that everybody is convinced it is McDonald’s job to raise minimum wage.
a. Beside from the truth, other sources such as the Huffington Post, Deseret News, and the New York Times seems to agree that although minimal wage does play a role in businesses’ incentive for changes, the largest incentive is actually money.
b. Since the Huffington Post claimed that labor is one of the largest cost in the economy, it only makes sense to minimalize that in order to create more profits.
B. Sub point #2: The last line of the article states that “The result of their agitation will be more jobs for machines and fewer for the least skilled worker.”
a. This is obviously a slippery slope by assuming that higher wages demands will replace workers with machines.
b. In fact, spokeswoman for McDonalds states “To clarify, there are currently touchscreens being used as part of a Create Your Taste burger customization …The dining experience is and our restaurant staff who are participating in the test have shared that interacting with customers is still an engaging and important part of their jobs at McDonald’s. “ She also said that the journal’s speculation is “highly speculative and…show more content… III. Main Point II: According to the New York Times, increasing the minimum wage will have profound effects on the industry therefore providing more incentive for automation, but corporations have always seek out new ways to boost their profits while retaining integrity to its consumers.
A. Sub point #1: The Economist wrote an article called The Rise of Robots, comparing robots to the automated farming equipment that revolutionized the agrarian culture, and dismissing farm laborers in the 20th century.
a. Based on the comparative advantage theory, a company won’t make every single part of a computer even if it can because it is cheaper to buy it from other sources that specialize in making certain parts.
b. It all boils down to profits and losses. In this case, if there are no worker compensations, background checks, holiday salary, or pay stubs expenses for every single employee, a corporation can save a lot of money with a computer that does not demand any of those mentioned.
c. The equipment will eventually pay for itself. Automated machines are much more reliable when it comes to productivity, efficiency, and long term cost