WHAT WENT ON TODAY, THEY DON'T 
THINK.
ADRIAN, THANK YOU. 
>>> ON A DAY THAT PRESIDENT 
OBAMA PUSHES FOR HIGHER-PAYING 
JOBS.
A WILDCAT STRIKE FOR HIGHER PAY.
WORKERS WILL WALK OFF THE JOB 
TODAY.
THE WILDCAT STRIKE WAS ORGANIZED
BY FAST-FOOD FORWARD, A NATIONAL
MOVEMENT LAUNCHED TOIC THATLE 
THE INCREASING NUMBER OF 
LOW-WAGE JOBS IN THIS COUNTRY.
EMPLOYEES ALL WILL TAKE PART, 
AND HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE ASKING 
FOR, THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE AND 
INCREASE IN WAGES FROM $7.50, TO
$15 AN HOUR.
FURTHER TRANSLATION, FROM ABOUT 
$15,000 A YEAR TO $30,000.
LET'S TALK IN DEPTH ABOUT THIS.
AS YOU KNOW, THE WAGE GAP IN 
THIS COUNTRY IS GROWING, AND SO 
IS THE POVERTY RATE.
THOMAS McGINNIS WILL STRIKE 
TODAY, AND CHRISTINE ROMANS IS 
OUR BUSINESS GURU.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH. 
>> THANK YOU. 
>> HI, CAROL.
>> THOMAS, YOU'VE WORKED AT 
DOMINO'S FOR 24 YEARS.
HOW MUCH DO YOU MAKE?
>> 7.35 AN HOUR.
>> AND YOU'VE WORKED THERE FOR 
24 YEARS?
>> YES, I HAVE. 
>> PLUS TIPS.
HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO LIVE ON 
THAT?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY IN THE LAST 
THREE OR FOUR YEARS I HAD TO GET
A DAY JOB, AND I ALSO CUT MY 
DOMINO'S HOURS, BECAUSE IT WAS 
KILLING MY CAR, A THING THAT 
OFTEN HAPPENS TO DRIVERS.
>> SO, YOU KNOW WHAT MOST PEOPLE
WOULD ASK YOU, IT'S WHY DON'T 
YOU JUST GET ANOTHER JOB?
>> ACTUALLY I WAS AT THAT POINT,
BUT THE ORGANIZERS CAME ALONG 
RIGHT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
AND APPARENTLY 7.35 IS NOT 
ENOUGH TO SURVIVE ON.
I THINK ANYBODY WHO WORKS FULL 
TIME SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A 
LIVING WAGE.
IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE NOW.
SO SOME OF THESE FAST-FOOD 
RESTAURANTS SAY THESE KINDS OF 
JOBS REALLY AREN'T MEANT FOB 
FULL-TIME JOBS, BUT PART-TIME OR
TEMPORARY JOBS.
WHAT WOULD YOU IS A I TO THEM, 
THOMAS?
>> WELL, THAT'S A COMMON 
OPINION, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE 
MAKE THEIR LIVING OFF OF IT.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S 
UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT SOMEONE 
WHO WORKS 40-PLUS HOURS A WEEK, 
ESPECIALLY IN PROBABLY THE 
HOTTEST AND LEAST COMFORTABLE 
CONDITIONS, TO MAKE A DECENT 
LIVING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY PROBABLY 
WORK HARDER THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN CORPORATE OFFICES. 
>> CHRISTINE, TELL US WHY WE 
SHOULD ALL PAY ATTENTION TO THIS
WILDCAT STRIKE?
>> CAROL, I'VE GOT A THIRD OF 
AMERICANS NOW WHO EARN LESS THAN
$24,000 A YEAR.
THAT NUMBER IS GROWING.
THE KINDS OF JOBS THIS ECONOMY 
IS CREATING ARE LOW-WAGE JOBS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEY RETAIL AND
FAST FOOD JOBS, 18,400 A YEARS 
ON AVERAGE, THAT'S IF YOU'RE 
WORKING FULL TIME.
MOST PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOUR GUEST
THERE, ARE WORKING ONE OR TWO 
JOBS.
THESE ARE PART-TIME JOBS, NOT 
REALLY FULL-TIME JOBS IN A LOT 
OF CASES, SO PEOPLE ARE JUGGLING
BETWEEN ONE OR TWO JOBS.
THE DISCONNECT IS THERE'S A LOT 
OF DEMAND FOR HIGH-SKILL HIGHLY 
EDUCATED JOBS IN ENGINEERING, 
SCIENCE, SALES, INFORMATION 
TECHNO
TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH CARE AND 
THERE'S A HUGE AND GROWING SEA 
ALSO IN HEALTH CARE, BUT IN FAST
FOOD AND RETAIL THAT AREN'T 
PAYING WELL.
WHEN YOU TELL COMPANIES, WE WANT
YOU TO RAISE YOUR WAGES, THEY 
WANT WE CAN'T DOUBLE WAGES RIGHT
NOW, ESPECIALLY SMALL 
INDEPENDENT OWNERS OF SOME OF 
THESE FRANCHISES.
THEY SAY I CAN'T.
IF I DOUBLE MY WAGES, I WOULD 
HAVE TO LAY PEOPLE OFF OR RAISE 
MY PRICES.
SO IT'S A BIG DEBATE.
IT MATTERS, BECAUSE WE ARE 
CREATING SO MANY JOBS LIKE THAT.
LATER PRESIDENT PRESIDENT WILL 
SPEAK AT AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE.
THOSE JOBS ARE GOING TO PAY 
BERS, 30% BERS, AND SOME 
BENEFITS.
>> BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THAT, 
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO 
AN EXECUTIVE AT AMAZON, SO I 
WANT TO GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, IF
WE DOUBLE THEIR WAGES, IT WILL 
HURT OUR BOTTOM LINE.
McDONALD'S MAID $5.5 BILLION IN 
PROFITS ALONE LAST YEAR. 
>> YEAH.
THOSE ARE THE SHAREHOLDERS.
YOU'LL HEAR FROM THESE COMPANIES
WITH FRANCHISEES, THE 
INDEPENDENT STORES ARE OWNED -- 
THEY'LL SAY WE'RE A BIG COMPANY 
WITH A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS 
OWNERS.
SO THE WINNERS ARE SHAREHOLDERS,
FOR SURE.
WORKERS SAY THEY ARE NOT THE 
WINNERS, AND SMALL BIG OWNERS 
AND FRANCHISE OWNERS SAY WE'RE 
NOT THE WINNER, EITHER.
WE HAVE HIGHER COSTS, WE'RE 
GOING TO HAVE NEW HEALTH CARE 
LAWS COMING IN.
EVERYONE SAYS THEY'RE LOSERS BUT
THE SHAREHOLDERS, BASICALLY. 
>> THOMAS, WHAT DO YOU HOPE WILL
HAPPEN TODAY?
>> I THINK THE LOWER YOU GO DOWN
THE LADDER THE MORE YOU'RE 
VICTIMIZED.
THE FRANCHISEES FEEL LIKE 
THEY'RE NOT GETTING THEIR FAIR 
SHARE.
MAYBE IT SHOULD BE OFF THE TOP 
IF THERE'S THESE RECORD PROFITS.
HOW CAN SOMEBODY BE COMFORTABLE 
MAKING THE LIFE THAT'S NOT 
AVAILABLE TO ANY OF THEIR 
EMPLOYEES, KIND OF WHILE SUCKING
THE LIFE OUT OF THE COMMUNITIES.
THE COMMUNITIES ARE DOING 
HORRIBLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING,
YOU KNOW LOW-WAGEWORKER JOBS 
THAT ARE ALSO ON FOOD STAMPS.
THERE'S A LOT OF FINGER POINTING
THAT GOES WITH THAT, TOO.
>> MANY THA
