Healthier Fast Food Is Not Just A Myth

Me: Fully explain the milk shake situation with McDonald’s. 

Google Gemini:

The "milkshake situation" with McDonald's is less about the delicious beverage itself and more about the notorious reliability (or lack thereof) of their soft-serve and milkshake machines. This has become a long-standing issue, a source of countless jokes and memes, and even the subject of investigations and lawsuits. Here's a full explanation:

The Core Problem: Frequently "Broken" Machines

The central issue is the perception and reality that McDonald's milkshake and ice cream machines are frequently out of service. Customers often encounter the frustrating "Sorry, the ice cream machine is down" message when trying to order milkshakes, McFlurries, or soft-serve cones.

Reasons Behind the Unreliability:

Several factors contribute to this ongoing problem:

The Taylor Company Machines: For a long time, McDonald's had an exclusive (or near-exclusive) partnership with the Taylor Company for their soft-serve and milkshake machines, particularly the Taylor C602 model. This specific model is known for having a complex and lengthy cleaning and maintenance process.

Automated Heat Treatment/Cleaning Cycle: These machines have an automated daily heat treatment cycle that is supposed to sanitize the equipment. This cycle can take several hours (often 2-4 hours). If the cycle doesn't complete correctly due to various errors (overfilling, underfilling, parts not assembled correctly, etc.), the machine will often lock down and display an error code, preventing it from making ice cream or milkshakes.

Vague Error Codes: A significant point of frustration for McDonald's franchisees and employees is that the Taylor machines often display vague and unhelpful error codes. This makes it difficult for staff to diagnose and fix minor issues themselves.

Authorized Technicians: Due to the complexity and the terms of their agreement with Taylor, McDonald's franchisees are often contractually obligated to use only certified Taylor technicians for repairs. This can lead to long wait times for service, especially if a store is in a remote location or during busy periods.

Maintenance and Cleaning: The daily and weekly cleaning procedures are extensive and must be done correctly. If employees are not properly trained or if they rush the process, it can lead to machine malfunctions. Some reports suggest that the machines require meticulous cleaning of numerous small parts.

Financial Incentives (Alleged): There have been allegations and even a lawsuit suggesting that Taylor has a financial incentive to keep the machines complex and prone to breakdowns, as this generates more service and repair revenue for them.

Franchisee Frustration: Many McDonald's franchisees have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Taylor machines due to the frequent breakdowns, the cost and time associated with repairs, and the lost sales from unavailable desserts.

The Kytch Solution and the Controversy:

In an attempt to address the issue, a startup called Kytch developed a device that could be installed on the Taylor machines to provide franchisees with more detailed error information and allow them to potentially diagnose and fix some issues themselves, reducing downtime.

However, McDonald's corporate ordered franchisees to remove the Kytch devices, citing safety concerns, potential warranty violations with Taylor, and the risk of confidential information leaks. Kytch subsequently sued Taylor and McDonald's, alleging anti-competitive behavior and that Taylor copied their technology.

The Current Situation:

McDonald's has acknowledged the issue publicly and has stated they are working on solutions to improve the reliability of their machines.

They have reportedly started allowing franchisees to purchase ice cream machines from other manufacturers like Carpigiani in some locations, which are rumored to be more reliable and easier to maintain.

The "broken McDonald's ice cream machine" remains a popular internet meme and a common customer experience.

The legal battle surrounding Kytch highlights the complexities and frustrations surrounding the maintenance and repair of these machines.

In essence, the "milkshake situation" at McDonald's is a multifaceted problem stemming from the design and maintenance requirements of their soft-serve machines, the contractual obligations with the manufacturer, and the resulting frequent unavailability of frozen desserts, much to the chagrin of customers.

From the Netflix show I’m currently watching I assume that if I had to pick the date they officially got their start then it would be in 1954 (upon watching further I learned that that was not the official starting date but it was fun to witness just how old this fast food chain is that we commonly rely upon).

Me: is mcdonalds allowed to unionize or are they like Starbucks and Amazon

Google Gemini:

Yes, in the United States, McDonald's employees have the legal right to unionize. This right is protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which guarantees employees the freedom to form, join, or assist labor organizations for the purpose of collective bargaining.

Therefore, unlike the assertion in your question implying they might be restricted like Starbucks and Amazon, the legal framework allows McDonald's workers to unionize.

However, the reality of unionization efforts at McDonald's is complex and faces significant challenges, similar to those encountered by workers at Starbucks and Amazon:

Franchise Model: A significant portion of McDonald's restaurants (the vast majority) are operated by individual franchisees. Under the traditional interpretation of labor law, each franchise location would need to unionize separately. This decentralized structure makes a large-scale, company-wide unionization effort very difficult to coordinate.

"Joint Employer" Status: For a long time, McDonald's argued it was not a "joint employer" with its franchisees, which would limit its direct responsibility in union negotiations. However, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been pushing for a more expansive definition of "joint employment," which could potentially require McDonald's corporate to directly negotiate with unions representing franchise workers.

Anti-Union Tactics: Like Starbucks and Amazon, McDonald's has a history of actively opposing unionization efforts. Tactics allegedly used include corporate surveillance of union organizers, hiring anti-union consultants, and other measures to discourage union formation.

High Turnover: The fast-food industry generally experiences high employee turnover, which can make union organizing challenging as the workforce is constantly changing.

Lack of Widespread Unionization: Unlike some other countries where McDonald's has unionized locations (e.g., Denmark, parts of Canada historically), unionization in U.S. McDonald's locations has been very limited.

Current Situation:

There have been some scattered attempts to unionize individual McDonald's locations in the U.S., with limited success.

The "Fight for $15" campaign, while not a traditional union, has advocated for better wages and working conditions for fast-food workers, including those at McDonald's, and has sometimes worked in conjunction with union organizing efforts.

The NLRB's evolving stance on "joint employer" status could potentially create more pathways for broader unionization efforts in the future.

In conclusion, while McDonald's employees in the U.S. have the legal right to unionize, they face significant hurdles due to the franchise model, the company's historical resistance to unionization, and the logistical challenges of organizing a large and dispersed workforce. The situation is similar in some ways to the challenges faced by workers attempting to unionize at Starbucks and Amazon, although the franchise structure adds another layer of complexity for McDonald's.

Type this into ChatGPT to see a more refined answer then the one Google Gemini might award you as of the present day:

Tiered list of the top 50 fast food chains in order of healthiness