Singing the Chick-fil-A Child Labor Blues By Jim Hightower

[justaprogressive]

"Summertime, and the living is easy, fish are jumping, and ..." Wait a minute, what the hell is this?

A summer camp for kids — but with a disturbing corporate twist. Some outlets of Chick-fil-A, the fast-food chicken chain, are promoting a summer camp where children as young as 5 can learn "how to be a Chick-fil-A worker."

Isn't this fun? The corporation says that while the chickadees won't actually be doing the work of regular employees, they will learn how to "take orders, deliver orders, make drinks, and be a hostess."

Of course, the little campers don't get paid — indeed their families must pay to let the company give them an early dose of the good ol' American work ethic and a "behind-the-scenes look" inside the hierarchal corporate order. You can't start 'em too young on these life lessons! The kiddos do get compensated, sort of, with their very own Chick-fil-A name tag and T-shirt.

OK, this is not the Dickensian dystopia of 19th-century England — but is that our modern standard? There is nothing wrong with young kids working ... but 5-year-olds? And — as was the case in the preteen tasks I had in my father's small business and on my Aunt Eula's farm — the objective ought not be indoctrination into the corporate culture of low-wage franchises. Rather, I was learning to help the family and how to contribute to the larger community. My reward was not merely a token stipend but a recognition that I belonged — that I had a role and was valued as part of that community. People didn't need a corporate name tag to know who I was.

https://www.creators.com/read/jim-hightower

[Ilsa]

1. Taking orders and learning point-of-sale transactions

are not appropriate skills for teaching Kindergarten kids. They need to be learning socialization, counting, how to use language to express themselves, not matching "Original sandwich" to a picture on a screen" or learning logos for Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, etc.

Those Chick-fil-A kids are going to be learning that life is transactional, exactly the same way as Dear Leader sees it.

[orthoclad]

2. Ah, but they learn to say "Yes, Boss!"

The late-stage capitalism version of learning socialization.

[slightlv]

3. If we don't win and win BIG this election

this is the future for our kids and grandkids. They want to do away with secondary schooling... if there has to be any, it should be vo-tech only. And I'm not down on Vo-Tech. It's given many people a leg up in their life. We even had a version of it in high school, for all of us to take part in. But, WE want thinkers, idealists, creative types who can push progress forward. These oligarch types don't want that, and they're going to make sure they don't have to deal with them for long... starting in on 5-year-olds? What ARE these parents thinking? I guess if it's chick-fil-a, then they're religious types that don't think, anyway. Most days, I want to lay revelation in their laps and say READ IT! See how much of it fits with exactly what you're doing, and the cult of which you're a part.

Kids need time to be kids... to learn to live with each other and the world. They need time to dream and be silly. They don't need to be learning how to push buttons on a cash register at 5... and I thought Easy-Bake Ovens were bad while I was growing up! ARGH!