Through My Mind @iwilsontran - Tumblr Blog

foodffs

ROASTED GARLIC PARMESAN RED POTATOES WITH HOMEMADE FRY SAUCE

Really nice recipes. Every hour.

Show me what you cooked!

gifsboom

queerist

that is a courageous little girl

gloamglozerglam-deactivated2022

You know what’s a major pet peeve for me when it comes to arguments against raising the minimum wage? All the references to food service workers as “burger flippers”. Burger flippers are not a thing. You’re never going to see a restaurant post a sign that says “help wanted: hiring burger flippers.” “Burger flipper” is a term used pretty much exclusively to condescend to food service workers and downplay the real work and stress that goes into food service. It makes out like minimum wage workers are lazy people who are literally just standing at a grill, occasionally moving a spatula, all day, mindlessly, and that is their one and only responsibility, which anyone who has ever worked in food service can tell you is not what that job entails. It’s rhetoric used solely to designate them inferior. It doesn’t reflect the reality of minimum wage food service work. It’s annoying.

redtearstonering

to put this in perspective, my job consists of:

prepping hundreds of pounds of vegetables alone per week, using knives, a heavy-duty meat slicer, and a vegetable chopper, any of which could easily take off a finger from a careless move

constantly refilling vegetables, cheeses, sauces, and non-perishables (cups, salad bowls, ecc)

cooking on a 200°-400° F grill for anywhere from 2-6 hours per day, often intentionally putting hot oil on it upon customer request

ensuring meat is not over or undercooked as to prevent food poisoning

quality control of every single topping on the line (freshness, consistency, overall taste and appearance), as well as making sure to regularly change gloves

being conscious and accommodating of any allergies or dietary restrictions

talking to a wide variety of customers each day, with a mandated Cheerful Smile, regardless of any events in my personal life or how they treat me

having to explain prices and menu options as well as toe the company line by upselling certain deals to every single person

and above all making sure all dishes and the entire rest of the store is clean and sanitary, as well as making it neat and orderly for customers.

every one of my coworkers does all of this every single day. every day my coworkers and i plunge our hands into scalding water to ensure dishes are properly sanitized, every day we take blades within an inch of our hands so that people have an enjoyable variety of food to eat. it is not uncommon to leave a shift at work with a second-degree burn at the very least.

what do i personally earn for this? $7.50 an hour, and that was after a 25 cent raise. this is an emotionally and physically taxing job. this job is non-stop customer service with concern for public health hanging over every move i make. what about this sounds easy? what about this sounds desirable for such a pittance? if i cared a little less about my job, hundreds of people could get sick in a single day if i served onions i dropped on the floor, or meat i undercooked, or if i sneezed and didnt take the time to wash my hands and change my gloves.

but sure. i guess i just flip burgers.