New Documentary Showcasing Kansas City Fast Food Worker’s Fight for Better Treatment and Wages
In the Spotlight: Fast Food Worker, Fran Marion
In Kansas City, the struggles faced by fast-food workers are placed under the spotlight in a new documentary. Featured in this enlightening piece is Fran Marion, a Kansas City fast food worker and organizer, who has labored in the industry for over two decades. The unvarnished realities of this industry are laid bare as this new expose reveals the truth behind the flimsy facade of fast-food chains.
Marion has been campaigning with Stand Up KC to secure liveable wages, access to health care, and a union for low-wage workers for about half that time. She paints a harrowing picture of what it means to be a fast food worker in America, with years of labor translating into mere dollars, leaving her and many of her companions grappling with constant financial struggles.
Behind the Scenes in “Food, Inc. 2”
The said documentary is “Food, Inc. 2”, a next installment to the Oscar-nominated 2008 documentary “Food, Inc.” The original film exposed the deeply embedded corporate consolidation and issues concerning environmental, animal welfare, and workers’ right in U.S. food production.
In the recent documentary, Marion’s journey in this harsh world of fast food is thoroughly detailed. From leading a walkout at a Taco Bell over low wages and poor treatment to discussing life as a fast food worker, Marion’s narration is poignant and imbued with authenticity.
Unsafe working conditions, racial slurs, and violence from customers are just a few of the real and disturbing experiences fast-food workers face. As Marion reveals, many such workers find themselves barely making ends meet despite working exhaustive shifts, with their labor creating wealth for others.
The Ongoing Battle with Fast Food Giants
Despite her dedication and hard-fought struggles, Marion found herself terminated from her job at Taco Bell following a confrontation with an armed customer. Now employed at a local McDonald’s, Marion says the scenario of unsettled working conditions remains largely unchanged.
“The only thing that changes within each restaurant is the product that you sell,” Marion said. “But otherwise, as far as unsafe working conditions, dealing with corporate, there’s no change in whatever restaurant you work in.” Both fast-food corporations, McDonald’s and Taco Bell, have thus far refrained from offering comments on the documentary.
Implications and Aspirations
The directors of “Food, Inc. 2”, Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo, have voiced their hopes for the film to stimulate a national conversation about food production and the mistreatment of workers in the fast food industry. They also hope for the film to prompt policymakers into enforcing stricter regulations.
Workers are not merely the individuals who provide us with convenient meals. They are vital cogs in an economic machine that saves us time and caters to our demands. Through her powerful journey revealed in “Food, Inc. 2,” Marion brings the hopes and struggles of fast food workers into clearer focus. She hopes the documentary highlights the humanity of fast food workers, leading to greater respect and improved working conditions.
Marion fervently continues the fight with Stand Up KC, hoping to garner more support for the improved treatment of fast food workers. Her dream, shared by many of her peers, is to secure adequate health care, benefits, and raise the minimum wage to levels observed in states like California, where workers have succeeded in achieving an hourly wage of $20.
“We are barely surviving,” states Marion. Her deeply-felt resonates with the plight of countless fast food workers across America. “I can only tell you what I dream of it being like because, I’m barely surviving,” she says.
“Food, Inc. 2” will be available on all digital platforms on Friday and will begin streaming on Hulu on August 12. It serves as a doorway into the hard-fought lives of fast food workers like Marion, revealing the long-overdue need for audiences to recognize their plight and strive for a change in the system.
