Chick Fil A publicly backing away from politics

[Rebelwife]

Wonder how the fundies will react?

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/ ... ready-grow

(Not that Cathy and co. Have changed their opinion, of course, just that they are putting their profits ahead of it.).

I know they got a lot of pushback from some franchisees about it. I don't have a problem eating at at the one here because our local franchisee was pretty vehement that he disagreed with the company's stance and has privately supported LGBT stuff around here.

**edited to add, I laugh every time my phone autocorrects "fundies" to "fun dies." :lol:

[nelliebelle1197]

Wonder how the fundies will react?

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/ ... ready-grow

(Not that Cathy and co. Have changed their opinion, of course, just that they are putting their profits ahead of it.).

I know they got a lot of pushback from some franchisees about it. I don't have a problem eating at at the one here because our local franchisee was pretty vehement that he disagreed with the company's stance and has privately supported LGBT stuff around here.

**edited to add, I laugh every time my phone autocorrects "fundies" to "fun dies." :lol:

Well, you should have a problem. They are not franchisees. They are "operators". They rent the building, equipment, etc from the Cathys and a large portion of each month's take goes straight back to the Cathys. It is privately owned, so the Cathys actually own each restaurant and the operators basically rent. Operators also have to pass a fundie smell test before they are given a store - it takes a lot of hoops and they work to keep out non fundies. The Cathys' private foundation gets most of non marketing charitable dollars - the company can't give any gift over $2500 without Mrs. Cathy's signature. Make no mistake- you are supporting the Cathy hate machine, period.

[JenniferJuniper]

It's the closed on Sunday thing that telegraphs who they are. If they open one in my area and it stays closed on Sundays, many people are either going to know they are fundamentalist or be curious enough to look into their history. And it won't be looked upon favorably.

So it will be interesting to see how they handle the Sunday thing moving forward. If they allow different rules for different parts of the country, I can see fundie heads exploding, because the world, of course, should always revolve around them. To them, the world not revolving around them = persecution.

[Becket70]

Joshie isn't going to like this.

[jerkit]

I could have sworn that they already said this once before and it didn't take.

[HereticHick]

I still don't eat at Chick-fil-a for political reasons, and I do miss it!

[Dandruff]

It's the closed on Sunday thing that telegraphs who they are. If they open one in my area and it stays closed on Sundays, many people are either going to know they are fundamentalist or be curious enough to look into their history. And it won't be looked upon favorably.

So it will be interesting to see how they handle the Sunday thing moving forward. If they allow different rules for different parts of the country, I can see fundie heads exploding, because the world, of course, should always revolve around them. To them, the world not revolving around them = persecution.

If they're going to try to compete in NYC then I can't imagine they'd close on Sunday. Why give up a day's income each week when you've just made a big investment and are competing with places that are open on Sunday?

[micatite]

Too little, too late. There's a lot of chicken joints in the world. They won't get one penny from me.

[Snarknado]

I must be an oddball because I ate there once and thought it was just gross. Not to mention it did a number on my stomach. I don't miss it at all.

[Stephanie66]

So how many of you don't shop at Target? They basically did the same thing (gave to a gay hate group) but since liberals *like* Target, all was forgiven. Target made a mistake and the *company* talks about supporting gay rights, but has given no money towards gay rights, only money to a group against gay rights. So there ya go.

My point is neither Chik-fil-a nor Target is giving money to hate groups anymore, but they both did in the past. Both have said they no longer will. Why does Target (who has also done nothing, really, to HELP gay rights other than show up at heavily commercialized pride parades with Walmart and everyone else) get a pass and Chik-fil-a does not?

[Alice_Fraggle]

So how many of you don't shop at Target? They basically did the same thing (gave to a gay hate group) but since liberals *like* Target, all was forgiven. Target made a mistake and the *company* talks about supporting gay rights, but has given no money towards gay rights, only money to a group against gay rights. So there ya go.

My point is neither Chik-fil-a nor Target is giving money to hate groups anymore, but they both did in the past. Both have said they no longer will. Why does Target (who has also done nothing, really, to HELP gay rights other than show up at heavily commercialized pride parades with Walmart and everyone else) get a pass and Chik-fil-a does not?

Edit - never mind I see the "used to". The difference, to me, is that while CFA may not actively donate to hate groups, they themselves ARE a hate group, whereas Target keeps their damn mouth shut.

[O Latin]

It's the closed on Sunday thing that telegraphs who they are. If they open one in my area and it stays closed on Sundays, many people are either going to know they are fundamentalist or be curious enough to look into their history. And it won't be looked upon favorably.

So it will be interesting to see how they handle the Sunday thing moving forward. If they allow different rules for different parts of the country, I can see fundie heads exploding, because the world, of course, should always revolve around them. To them, the world not revolving around them = persecution.

I actually like the fact that they're closed on Sunday because it gives the employees (who I imagine are mostly young and poorly paid) one guaranteed day off every week. I wish more businesses would do this. It doesn't necessarily have to be Sunday, but I think people in general are used to the fact that some places are closed on Sunday but would find it odd if they were closed on, say, Tuesday.

[BravaAmica]

It's cheaper to be closed on Sundays. Less food, less payroll, less operating costs. Most restaurants aren't busy on Sundays, the exception to that rule being Mother's Day. So, Chick-fil-A being closed on Sundays saves corporate millions a year, just like it does for Hobby Lobby. (And, like Hobby Lobby, I wouldn't be surprised if CFA also required managers to go on in Sundays to accept deliveries, complete payroll, and finish other tasks.)

O Latin, where I live, many small businesses, mainly retail, are closed Mondays but will open if you make an appointment. It gives the owner a weekday for things like banking, doctor appointments, parent-teacher conferences, ect. And it also saves on payroll, utilities, ect.

[Stephanie66]

I have to admit I think it is nice that employees get one day a week off, too. I don't eat at Chik-fil-a, and I did participate in the boycott, but I think since they are no longer donating to hate groups, they are like Target to me. Still not my favorite place in the world, but meh.

[Emme]

Yeah but just because they're closed doesn't mean employees are actually off. More likely it means they're working another shift at another job :-(

[JenniferJuniper]

I actually like the fact that they're closed on Sunday because it gives the employees (who I imagine are mostly young and poorly paid) one guaranteed day off every week. I wish more businesses would do this. It doesn't necessarily have to be Sunday, but I think people in general are used to the fact that some places are closed on Sunday but would find it odd if they were closed on, say, Tuesday.

Have you ever worked in a fast food joint? I have, and know that hours are often hard to come by. Management aside, the worker bees hardly ever get anything close to full time hours and having 24 fewer hours available is just that much more limiting.

[O Latin]

Have you ever worked in a fast food joint? I have, and know that hours are often hard to come by. Management aside, the worker bees hardly ever get anything close to full time hours and having 24 fewer hours available is just that much more limiting.

That is a good point. I have not worked in fast food, but I have worked in retail and it was much the same. I guess I was thinking more about how hours were assigned completely randomly (at least that's how it seemed), making it impossible to plan anything more than a week or two in advance. I would have killed to have one day every week where I KNEW I wasn't going to have to work and could then plan other things for that day.

[Stephanie66]

Yeah, I used to work at Hardees, drunk rush. With a "Thick and Juicy" pin over my chest. But it was in the 80s, when hours were plentiful. It is a good point about hours, but it would also be nice to know they can ALWAYS get things done on Sunday. Sleep in on Sunday. Spend time with family on Sunday. Provided, of course, that it is not their only source of income and it is a college job or supplemental income. (Not everyone who works fast food is a single mom of three kids, either. Some ARE college students.)

[August]

I actually like the fact that they're closed on Sunday because it gives the employees (who I imagine are mostly young and poorly paid) one guaranteed day off every week. I wish more businesses would do this. It doesn't necessarily have to be Sunday, but I think people in general are used to the fact that some places are closed on Sunday but would find it odd if they were closed on, say, Tuesday.

What about students who have class on weekdays? Parents who can't afford childcare and have a 9-5 working partner? There is a reason low paid jobs are at night and on weekends, because that's when people have time to work.

They're adults, let them decide which day they'll take off, and if they can afford to do it. I hope there are subsidies, but I couldn't afford afterschool care if I earned minimum wage.

[Mecca]

Considering that the average age for a fast food worker is now 29, I would say there are a lot of people that do rely on those 24 hours. Many are stuck in such a hard place. I agree that people need time off, but they also need a living wage with benefits so they do not have to scramble for hours. These companies make massive profits. It is time they start treating the people on the frontlines of their companies better.

[O Latin]

Considering that the average age for a fast food worker is now 29, I would say there are a lot of people that do rely on those 24 hours. Many are stuck in such a hard place. I agree that people need time off, but they also need a living wage with benefits so they do not have to scramble for hours. These companies make massive profits. It is time they start treating the people on the frontlines of their company better.

I agree and I think part of treating employees better is actually listening when an employee says they aren't available on certain days or at certain times (especially since, as others have stated, availability could be related to things like childcare or college classes), regardless of how many days a week the business is open. Obviously it won't work if EVERYONE says they can't work on Sunday, but I think there are enough people with different schedules and preferred days off that it shouldn't be that hard to fill all the shifts (and I assume this is why most of these places have you list your availability on the application). This was the other thing that bothered me about my former employer. They had me fill out an availability sheet both before and after they hired me (and I listed the same availability both times) and then proceeded to completely ignore it. My unavailable times were related to pretty trivial things but I would have been pretty damn pissed if it had been related to, say, my school schedule and then they scheduled me to work when I was supposed to be in class.

Okay, I'm done complaining now.

[Stephanie66]

I had a job not that long ago that would not give days off. (It was not fast food and it was not minimum wage) I could not have a doctor's appointment because they had no one to cover for me. So it is not specific to fast food. I had vacation time, I just couldn't take it.

I have no idea how we are ever going to get the US back. I used to be a manager at a CVS in the late 90s and I was begging people to work there for $8 an hour. I hired people that had weekend jail (as long as it wasn't for drugs or theft and they could currently pass a drug screen.) I wanted warm bodies to stand behind the counter and stock shelves for a few BUCKS above minimum wage and I couldn't get people to fill positions.

Totally off topic, but: I hope the current situation is not the new normal. Because I have two young adults who, at the moment, are doing okay. Thankfully, my daughter got through college without loans and my son has a decent job. But did the economy collapse and the income disparity all happen at once? And why are poor people fighting the minimum wage increase? things I don't understand. (My home state just raised their minimum wage to $9.50, which seems painfully low.

[Cleopatra7]

I had a job not that long ago that would not give days off. (It was not fast food and it was not minimum wage) I could not have a doctor's appointment because they had no one to cover for me. So it is not specific to fast food. I had vacation time, I just couldn't take it.

I have no idea how we are ever going to get the US back. I used to be a manager at a CVS in the late 90s and I was begging people to work there for $8 an hour. I hired people that had weekend jail (as long as it wasn't for drugs or theft and they could currently pass a drug screen.) I wanted warm bodies to stand behind the counter and stock shelves for a few BUCKS above minimum wage and I couldn't get people to fill positions.

Totally off topic, but: I hope the current situation is not the new normal. Because I have two young adults who, at the moment, are doing okay. Thankfully, my daughter got through college without loans and my son has a decent job. But did the economy collapse and the income disparity all happen at once? And why are poor people fighting the minimum wage increase? things I don't understand. (My home state just raised their minimum wage to $9.50, which seems painfully low.

I think a lot of this hostility has to do with race. In the US, especially in the South, many whites believe that if something helps blacks then it harms whites. It doesn't seem to occur to such people that something could helps black and whites equally. For example, the only reason that the New Deal was able to pass was because the Southern Dixiecrats were promised that the new labor laws wouldn't apply to farm workers or domestics (i.e., the jobs that Southern blacks were most likely to have) and that the electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority would only go to segregated communities. When the War on Poverty extended welfare benefits to all Americans, regardless of color, Southern whites suddenly decided that welfare was evil. Similarly, Obamacare actually started out as a plan designed by the conservative Heritage Foundation in response to Hillarycare in the 1990s and was then picked up by Mitt Romney. You see the same dynamic in place with the hysteria over Obama in general. In the context of any other developed country, Obama would be considered center-right, but to our fundies and their fellow travellers, he's a Nazi commie Muslim socialist who want to take away the guns of "godly" white folk.

[Mecca]

The reason why some of the working poor are against raising the wage is because of fear. I think it is a reasonable fear if we really take a look at where they are coming from. Most of the people that hold these jobs are considered unskilled workers. They fear losing their jobs because their employers are telling them if the wage is raised, they will have no other choice but to cut back on workers and lay many people off. For them, little money coming in is better than no money coming in.

Honestly, it makes me sick knowing that so many are being held over a barrel and essentially trapped by the corporations they work for and have to rely on. It is an abusive relationship. As long as the legislators and judicial system allows corporations to have more control and power than the individuals that live and work in the U.S., this will continue to happen.

[elsabee]

The reason why some of the working poor are against raising the wage is because of fear. I think it is a reasonable fear if we really take a look at where they are coming from. Most of the people that hold these jobs are considered unskilled workers. They fear losing their jobs because their employers are telling them if the wage is raised, they will have no other choice but to cut back on workers and lay many people off. For them, little money coming in is better than no money coming in.

Honestly, it makes me sick knowing that so many are being held over a barrel and essentially trapped by the corporations they work for and have to rely on. It is an abusive relationship. As long as the legislators and judicial system allows corporations to have more control and power than the individuals that live and work in the U.S., this will continue to happen.

It's also so much just lack of information. People who grow up in super homogeneous areas who are constantly told that raising the minimum wage will drive the country into the ground don't have the space to not believe it. I think eventually things are going to get so much worse that people will HAVE to realize that it's time to do something about it, but I don't think we're there yet. :(