Blog Two

Another significant factor that determines the unjust realtionship between the food industry and it's workers is very largely based on the majority of adolescent employees working in these fast-food joints under extremely unfair conditions. According to Schlosser in chapter three ("Behind The Counter") - about two-thirds of the nation's fast food workers are under the age of twenty. Schlosser writes, "Teenagers have been the perfect candidates for these jobs, not only because they are less expensive to hire than adults, but also because their youthful inexperience makes them easier to control", (Schlosser, page 68.) Simply put: the younger the employeees are, the overall greater control the companies have over them. Due to their inexperience and unskilled abilities within the workforce, they will settle for these part-time low wage jobs that realistically should be granted to a more stable, more experienced adult. Most of these teens are standing on their feet for more than seven hours at a time during the course of a single work shift. The worst bulk of it, however, comes up on page eighty three when Schlosser delves into injury rates. Schlosser says, "Teenagers are fare more likely to be untrained, and every year, about 200,000 are injured on the job. The most common workplace injuries at fast food resturants are slips, falls, strains, and burns." Safetey also plays a big role in these establishments. Crime rate in the industry is at an all time high, and robbers are more drawn to America's fast food resturants than convenience stores, gas stations, or banks since fast food resturants still do almost all of their business in cash. This is where "stroking" comes into play. Managers will make these employees "feel good' by talking them up, telling them what a great job they are doing. This strategic method works effectively on employees, mainly teenagers, as they