3.Behind+the+Counter

__**Summary**__ In chapter 3, it discusses the boom that made Colorado City such a large urban sprawl in WWII, when it was used as a base and brought in thousands of soldiers. After the war, more based opened, and Colorado Springs became a largely military-centered city. Aerospace and computer engineering are important parts of the economy, but more than half of the workforce is in the restaurant business.

It recalls when teenagers were a major part of the fast food industry, as they preferred unskilled workers willing to work part time for low wages. The fast-food industry is fashioned in the same way that early 20th century assembly lines were, with throughput being the most important aspect. Fast food restaurants are strictly regimented and give employers power over their disposable employees. The operating system and machines do most of the work, meaning there isn't a need for skilled workers. Aside from teens; elderly, disabled, and immigrants comprise over 1/6 of the workforce.

Fast food companies continue to accept hundreds of millions of dollars in government subsidies to train their employees, which they in turn, spend on eliminating training and devising new cooking machines that can only do things one way, to eliminate the need for employees to learn a specific skill. It also notes the high percentage of workers who earn minimum wage in the fast food industry. As the average worker's salary decreases, fast food executive's salaries have ballooned. When any fast food franchise location has tried to unionize, the company would hire expensive lawyers or even shut down the location.

High school students are spending more and more time at their jobs. Some work 12 hour shifts on weekends, sacrificing their educational achievement for their jobs. It also notes how teens didn't think of unionizing and hopped from job to job when they got displeased. Another issue covered was the fact that fast food restaurants are often robbed. While more security equipment has been recommended, a better option would be to increase employees salaries, as it is the most frequently robbed industry from within its own workers.


 * __Notes/Facts__**

1/6 of all fast food employees speak English as a second language. There is not one unionized major fast food company as of 2001. The government pays million of dollars to fast food companies to train their employees. They spend millions on ways to eliminate training. The fast food industry employs a higher percentage of minimum-wage workers than any other industry.

-It costs employers money when there is job turnover. It is estimated that it costs a fast food restaurant $19,000 to make up for a lost employee. This somewhat disproves the fact that employees are easily dispensable in the fast food business.
 * __The Other Side__**

Group 3