8 Years in Burger King
We view anyone who has a job as someone who has a stable life, and stable income… In many countries where the unemployment rate is high, those who are employed are seen to be lucky and “safe” from having their houses repossessed, being unable to put food on the family, becoming homeless etc.
I came across this video below and was shocked by Terrance Wise’s story. Even though he holds 2 jobs, and is out of the house either on public transportation or working for 17-18 hours a day, he still finds it very difficult to make ends meet.
After working at Burger King for 8 years, and then taking up another job at Pizza Hut, he has chosen to speak out against unfair wages. Not only is he unable to make ends meet, but he spends very little time with his family and has no opportunity for career advancement or personal development. It’s an unending cycle of leaving the house for work before the sunrises and working for 17-18 hours a day. So many of us have it better and we should really be clear about how lucky we are. We should contemplate our good fortunes and be inspired by Terrance.
Do watch the video below. I admire Terrance’s courage for speaking out. There are many other people like Terrance, who are finding it difficult just to feed their family despite having jobs and living in the 7th richest country in the world, according to Forbes…
Tsem Rinpoche
He’s worked at Burger King for 8 years. Just guess how much he makes
In recent months, fast-food workers across the country have begun a series of one-day strikes for sorely needed pay raises, workplace improvements, and the right to unionize.
As Terrance tells his personal story, it’s really important to remember that he’s one of millions in America who serve your fries — folks who are just asking to be able to feed their families in return.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/burger-king.mp4
[Extracted from : http://www.upworthy.com/he-s-worked-at-burger-king-for-8-years-just-guess-how-much-he-makes?c=ufb1]
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Dear Rinpoche,
What Terrence wise did was very admirable and courageous. To step up and speak up about the truth, even though he knew that his bosses might not like it and that he certainly might get fired afterward. It was a really admirable thing to do. 🙂
It is really sad that the reality of the world is like this. That even with a job or two, you will still struggle. This is why it is so important for us not to delude ourselves into thinking that everything in the world will be served on a silver platter.
This also shows that when we are living under a roof and not worrying about when our next meal will be, or when we are living in a house with an actual toilet, we are extremely lucky and fortunate. Who cares if it’s not a mansion? At least you don’t have to worry about when the government will take your house away.
I really hope that this post will open the eyes of people to see the struggle these working people are having and support them and help them.
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
The minimum wage life is hard. I thought Obama increased the national average wage but clearly not! The margin between wealthy and poor is shattering. The poor suffer a lot but on the bright side they have a chance to make a living. This would be unheard of in poorer nations.
Everywhere in the world is the same. People in Japan sometimes work 3 jobs just to make ends meet. Sometimes people over look the difficulties of the citizens in developed countries… after all, how can the people in USA have so much problems when many other ppl in the world are trying to get into this country to live the American dream?
Inequality will always be there, people are greedy, and the regular people that operates the very basic things we need in everyday life are the ones to suffer this inequality.
I was also guilty of not realizing how people in developed countries can suffer so much, and not just a hand full, but actually a large population of them! I remember Rinpoche sharing with us several videos about documentaries of people living very difficult lives in America, and after watching a documentary by Robert Reich, it all became clearer.
Sometimes we just need to have more appreciation with what we have. Sure sometimes we cant get the things we want… but there are a whole lot of people out there that can’t even get things they need. Despite holding several jobs… these people sometimes need to make a choice, either pay rent or visit the doctor… it’s sad…
What really strike me is the sentence that these are the people who serve us fries. Everyone works hard to earn living and we should give equal respect to those we meet everyday, return and response with respect, it could be just because they are having hard time. Be kind to everyone including those in the service line. Be polite and respect them because everyone has their own story to tell.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.We certainly hope that the developed countries could pay their staff justified wages that they could survive with the high cost of living in their countrie.
As for us in Malaysia.We should rejoice for what we have.We do not earn as much as those in America but our standard of living is much lower with price control and subsidy by our government.
At the end of each day ,we should count our blessing which include the rare chance to find a guru to share with us the precious dharma.For those that could afford,the privilege to share their time and whatever they could spare to bring joy to others through their generosity to benefit others out of their compassion.
We always complain that we do not have enough. But there are many who are not even given the opportunity that we have to progress further to make their situation better. 8 years, in burger king and Terrance is still stuck in the same situation as he is, barely making ends meet. So many are like him, and so many of the privileged and fortunate ones do not appreciate what they have.
Appreciate what we have, always show kindness to all around, and always look for ways to improve!
Many may be in a far worst situation and condition than Terrance in the Burger King. Yes it seems today in USA, or in some westernised countries, ordinary working-class people are hard pressed in earning a living to meet ends meet, especially those without a house but with a family to suuport, even a small one. The again, what about those who are without work and with a family, with school children to suppot. We dread to imagine such a phenomena; but what will their daily lives and future be like? It is a common senario that at today,s world, many low-income wage earners have to work two or three part-time jobs to make ends meet! They are considered lucky to have that good Karmic opportunity to achieve such good fortune of merit. In Rinpoche’s life story, he has had to work at three jobs in making ends meet to survive too! According to economic data, even China is said to have entered into a rapid dis-inflation process, and faces the risk of inflation, and growth is expected to slow further in th coming year. China today ranks one of the World’s top largest economy. Perhaps the USA government is awareof such economic situation, and its scholars, Policy makers, economists and others are planning at this moment to sort out this delima. So lets all have good faith, work hard and continue praying for a glorious and perfect celestial treasure for the ultimate virtue and goodness to benefit all beings! Om Mani Padme Hung.
I am very embarrassed about this, but I messed up your page. I watched the video about the serious plight of the working poor in America and how a living wage and unions would be so helpful and then clicked to tunes and then saw the album video stuck into your website. I spent 15 minutes trying to fix it for you before whining and apologizing that I made a mess and don’t know how to fix it in your reply box. So sorry! This is not the impression I hoped to make.
Thanks for Rinpoche’s sharing . It was struggling when a family need to worry how to get money just to fulfil the basic need of life . I can felt how Terence ‘ s feeling as I was growing up from poor family . Do wish that those voice can be heard and seriously take in by those management and made some humanity changes .
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing. There are many many people out there like Terrance. I do hope Terrance did not get fired because of speaking up about this if not it would be even harder for him. They are a group of people struggling everyday. If they didn’t get helped they will soon end up living at the street. So now, this is a very serious issue.
In Malaysia, Kechara Soup Kitchen other than feeding the homeless, we have a Food Bank department is helping these people by delivering food such as rice, milo, milk, cooking oil, biscuits, instant noodles etc to their door step. Dealing with homeless we understand there’s the problem come from hence to prevent this to happen, food bank play a very important role. By having these support, they can save up some of their money to pay their rental or medical fees. It’s very normal to see these poor families constantly sick due to long hour job and lack of nutrition in their food. If any one of the family members fall sick, that would even causes more difficulties to them especially if the one that sick is the one that earning the family income. At Kechara Soup Kitchen, we are very fortunate to have Dr Madhu who always help the less fortunate families in volunteer basis.
Dear Rinpoche,
This really shows us that most of us are living a good life, with proper shelter, food and not having to meet ends meet.
Being in such a rich nation yet struggling to support families is a wonder.
Terrance Wise is being paid $7.40 and $9.30 per hour at Pizza Hut and Burger King respectively…but I heard Malaysia McDonald’s only pay their workers RM4.50 an hour…way lesser than that for Fast Food chains in USA.
I understand that Italy has yearly “strikes” to remind employers to give better welfare at work and compensation benefits like salary increments.
I believe my company is fair in treating all my employees and they are paid adequately for the amount of work they do.
感謝仁波切的共享，提醒我們要感恩我們所擁有的，同一時間關心和幫助身边的人,不欺弱小。
The interview is correct in her statement that the media often portrays people who work at fastfood restaurants are often those who have dropped out from high school of those who need a little extra cash on the side. But this is not the reality out there. Even in such a developed country such as the United States, ordinary working class people are hard-pressed to earn a living to support themselves and their families, despite what is portrayed to the rest of the world through the media.
This gets me think about being thankful of the situations I have been in during my years growing up and then my time working. During those times, there were moments when i thought that my situation was tough, but never stopped to contemplate on other people’s life situations. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this, as i’ve come to realise that I was not grateful of my previous life situations. After watching this video and through Rinpoche’s teachings, I’ve come to realise that we should all be grateful our lives at the moment, and no matter how hard it seems, to remember that there are always people out there that are much worse off than you. This contemplation will actually help you with two things, the first is that you will be able to appreciate the situation you are in at the moment and second, by contemplating on those who are less fortunate than you, you will begin the stages of developing compassion.
Thank you for sharing this video with us Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the story of Terrance, which reminds how fortunate for most of us who can earn a living and able to have time for family, friends and things which we like to do in our free hours. I feel so sorry for Terrance as he needs to work for 17 – 18 hours a day, yet he is not able to feed his family sufficiently and no time to spend with his children during his working days. I truly respect Terrance’s courage to bring up his own personal feelings about his current living and wanted to help many of those who share the similar working life. I wish and hope Terrance would be able to meet a good employer, who can give a fair wage and treat the employees well in a spiritual way.
It’s sad to know about the fact that Terrance and millions of fast food chains workers across America work their sweat and put in hard work, but see no advancement or future in job they have worked for many many years!
It needs courage to speak out, to go to street fight for something important for you. I always believe if the situation is not so bad that people would not resort to go to street, and risk being fired.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing, for remind us to appreciate what we have at the same time care and help those who need our help. I will share this article on social media to let more know about the reality and life of a worker like Terrance, to raise the awareness of how unfair wages affect not only one’s effort to make ends need but the quality of life.
It is really sad to know that despite holding down 2 jobs and working for such long hours people like Terrance are only barely able to pull through and even though he is able to put food on the table everyday he rarely gets a chance to see his 3 daughters because he goes to work early in the morning and only comes back late at night.
Despite rising costs of living all around the world, fast food chains are not doing much to help people like Terrance and many others like him to make their lives slightly easier.
It is not wrong for people like Terrance to go on strikes as they workers too have their rights to demand for a increase in their pay, especially those who have worked for the same chain for many years.
Thank you Rinpoche for reminding us to always be grateful of what we have.
Dear Rinpoche,
The difficulties and disappointments that Terence undergoing are most unsettling for me. I truly admire Terence’s courage and endurance.
Sometimes life can feel totally screwed up. No matter how hard we try, we keep running into dead ends. Or banging our head against a wall. Or failing to achieve or do the things we want to do.
These people who aren’t living an easier life than others are the most who practicing the gratitude in their life. Because they suffer the incredibly difficult things happen to them, they understand that it isn’t the situation that’s the problem, it’s how you think about the situation that makes it easier or more difficult.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this story…
I am deeply reminded of how lucky we are in this lifetime that we do not have to work 17-18 hours a day and can afford to put food on the table with time and money to spare sometimes. Therefore we must contemplate on what have we done to deserve this luxury, considered that Terence is equally, if not more hardworking than most of us; the privilege that we are enjoying must be not from our hard work alone. Ask ourselves: How can we prevent ourselves from being in that situation? Can we be guaranteed to not be in that situation in my next life? Are we doing enough to ensure that we will not suffer in our next life? Do we want to perpetuate samsara?
Separately but related, we are lucky to be in the capacity to help people in less fortunate condition. Therefore, we can expand our role into the bigger scheme of things, reach out to people less fortunate around us instead of focusing on the enjoyment for just ourselves.
Thank You, Rinpoche, for sharing this teaching with us.