US workers have accused fast-food giant McDonald's of systematically stealing wages through illicit practices like forcing them to work off-the-clock and failing to pay overtime.
Seven class-action lawsuits were filed on this week in California, Michigan and New York demanding that McDonald's pay back the stolen wages and end the practices that violate state and federal laws, lawyers representing the workers said.
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The lawsuits argue that McDonald's, which took in nearly $US5.6 billion in profits last year, regularly fails to compensate its already low-paid workers for all the hours they work.
It allegedly forced employees to work off-the-clock, failed to pay them overtime, shaved hours off time cards, and deprived employees of timely meal and rest breaks, among other practices.
McDonald's isn't alone. Wage-theft is pervasive across the US economy, practiced by companies big and small. Their entire economy is propped up by theft from the poor. And in true US style, its left to the poor and weak to try and defend their rights, rather than having a strong national regulator who will do it for them and ensure everyone is paid what they're owed.
US capitalism: sociopathic and dishonest. We should not use it as a model.