“We had to hear about how he was a
good Christian who’d take care of us so
we needed to stop this union nonsense.”
HUFFINGTON
03.10.13
BREAD LINE
COURTESY OF KATHLEEN VONEITZEN
ers who belong to a labor union
has dropped to a historic low of
11.3 percent, including a mere 6.6
percent of the private sector, in
part because traditionally unionized industries like manufacturing have shrunk. Meanwhile, restaurant chains remain a nearly
union-free world. The Panera
bakers’ fight to unionize may shed
light on what kind of future organized labor has in the modern
service economy.
NOT THE SAME BIBLE
Saber read the consumer trends
years ago. While McDonald’s has
done just fine in the past decade,
fast-casual chains like Panera
have taken off by appealing to
health-conscious diners on the
go. Fast-food chains, in turn, have
been forced to adjust in order to
keep up with the changing times.
Last year, McDonald’s ended its
use of “pink slime” in its hamburgers and recently vowed to
use sustainable fish in its Filet-OFish sandwiches. Burger King announced that it would start using
only free-range eggs and pork.
After 17 years as a McDonald’s franchisee, Saber sold his 14
golden arches locations back to
the company in 2000, apparently
choosing to invest instead in the
up-and-coming Panera, according
to a 2003 story in Businessweek.
His company now operates more
than 50 Paneras in California and
Michigan, according to a restaurant trade publication.
“The McDonald’s-type fast food
isn’t relevant to today’s consum-
Kathleen
VonEitzen,
55, has
worked at
Panera for
two years, for
$10.45 per
hour.