Why One Employee TikTok Thinks McDonald's Prices Are Unfair

A new video that shows a Tik Tok user explaining how McDonald's combo prices are higher than what a minimum wage worker makes in an hour has gone viral. This has led to engaging dialogue on the platform about the ever-growing Fight for $15 movement within the fast food industry. For those unaware, fast food workers across the country are demanding better compensation for their work, per The Guardian.

Despite the recent increase in corporate profits (via Insider), according to the Pew Research Center, the minimum wage has remained stagnant. This is the longest the minimum wage has stayed the same since the program's inception, per Vox. According to CNBC, without adjusting for the rise in prices for consumer goods and housing, the "real wages" earned by some workers have fallen 2%. Per CNN, the Biden Administration recently raised the wage for federal employees, but in the private sector, the minimum wage of $7.25 still applies. Regardless of how you feel about the subject, it's been a heavily championed topic by fast food workers who use social media to get out the message.

In this clip shared by a Tik Tok user, we see a McDonald's menu displaying the cost of classic combos featuring the Big Mac, a double quarter pounder with cheese, and chicken nuggets, all being over eight dollars. The video caption states, "Working 1 hour on minimum wage can't even buy you a combo meal anymore." The range of reactions from commenters was mixed. Supporters of the sentiment stated things like, "And they have the audacity to raise the prices and still not raise the wage of their workers," "$15 is literally not enough," and, "It's #fightfor25 now since they didn't want us to get $15."

Meanwhile, detractors worried about the impact a minimum wage increase would have on consumer prices. Many statements echo this user's sentiment, "Y'all don't understand that raising the minimum wage is going to increase everything with it..." However, an article by Berkeley News purports that research indicated the contrary. Raising the minimum wage in the states studied only had a minimal price increase, which customers accepted, and it often resulted in an increase in jobs. With that in mind, support for the worker's requests could be strengthened.