The treatment of workers at Burger King, which was bought in 2002 by a consortium of private equity firms including Goldman Sachs, stands in stark contrast to the extravagant bonuses awarded to Goldman’s bailed-out bankers.
The relationship between Burger King and Goldman Sachs is a troubling example of the current balance between labor and capital. Burger King has been a repeat offender of the Federal Labor Standards Act and has lobbied to stop the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for its poorly paid workers to unionize. The masters of the universe at Goldman Sachs, who lost $53 billion in 2008, are part owners of the franchise. When Goldman received $10 billion from the government’s bank bailout, they set aside $6.5 billion to reward their loss-making employees. Brave New Films asks one hard working Burger King employee what she would do with a bailout bonus.
—Corbin Hiar
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