From: Michael Perelman (michael@ECST.CSUCHICO.EDU)
Date: Mon May 17 2004 - 17:14:27 EDT
The Economic Report of the President suggest that they should be classified as manufacturing workers!!! On Mon, May 17, 2004 at 08:26:41AM -0400, Gerald A. Levy wrote: > Hi Mike L. > > > That's not the issue--- it's whether the macworker is in the sphere of > > production or the sphere of circulation. > > If that's the issue, then I'd have to say that [most] macworkers are in > the sphere of production. They transform the use-value of food by > cooking and preparing it so that it becomes distinctly different > commodities. They are also wage-workers who are employed by > capital. Why wouldn't we consider them to be productive of surplus > value? > > While it is true that the spheres of production and circulation can > both exist within a single location (in this case, a local MacDonalds > franchise) and while it is true that some of the same workers may > work in both spheres (e.g. there can be job rotation whereby some > hours individual workers perform labor in the kitchen and other > hours their labor can be performed a few steps away entirely at a > cash register) most workers and most labor hours are engaged > in something more than distributing commodities by means of money. > As with just about any capitalist firm, some proportion of the wage- > labor force is _not_ productive of surplus value, however. > > Is this particularly controversial? Don't other list members believe > that [most] macworkers are productive? > > In solidarity, Jerry -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
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