> Workers shouldn't be demanding a minimum wage increase. They should be looking for ways to increase their value to businesses, which will always increase their wages, regardless of government intervention.

Nah. The minimum wage is "we would pay you less if we could, but we cannot." The business will extract as much as possible regardless of the value workers deliver. They are not going to magically pay you more because you are more efficient or deliver more value, but you might get a pizza party.

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/MCD/mcdonalds/gros...

> McDonald's gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $13.900B, a 6.55% increase year-over-year.

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/CMG/chipotle-mexic...

> Chipotle Mexican Grill gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $2.383B, a 30.05% increase year-over-year.

Shareholders and management will need to make peace with lower go forward returns and comp, respectively. Workers deserve a living wage and are enabled to get it in the current macro (structural demographics and executive branch posture, NLRB specifically). Robust labor policy and labor organizing is the only antidote for corporate sociopathy.

> A Special Report on Greedflation: How Corporations Are Making Record Profits On The Backs of American Families

https://www.casey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/greedflation1.pdf