McDonald's and Chipotle said they will raise menu prices in California to pay for the minimum wage hikes that Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law.
"The free market will fix it" seldom works, which is why it's still pushed as a solution.
Could this hypothetical someone make a more affordable burger ethically, or would they also have to fuck over their employees and suppliers?
Usually, the answer is "no". Businesses either use all the same sleazy, "race to the bottom" techniques or they go out of business because they offered a more expensive product to people without the luxury of being able to spend more.
But of course if you start paying people more, the billionaires will just fuck them out of that too. They want every dollar you have and they know people will spend every dollar they have to avoid being homeless or hungry.
Without regulations, you won't get "if you can't ethically provide fast food then there will be no fast food", you'll just get another fast food company that's even more unethical.
All I’m talking about is food prices and wages. If they raise their prices and their target audience stops going—then they will lower prices or go out of business.
They are more than capable of keeping prices the same and paying more… they just get less profit.
The company who says “we will pay more wages and keep our prices the same” will eventually be the “cheaper burger” and profit more by taking all of the business.