McDonald’s Replacing Cashiers With Machines?

• McDonald’s employees who picketed for a better living wage (whatever that means) may come to regret that decision. According to a Redditor, a McDonald’s in Illinois replaced their cashiers with machines. The machines appear to be the cousins of the ones found in grocery stores, big box stores, and CVS that allow customers to complete transactions...
  
  This is all basic economics, really. As costs of labor increase the added cost must be offset. In order to satisfy operating costs, produce a product consumers want to purchase, and still turn a profit, it’s perfectly reasonable for a company like McDonald’s to look for cost-cutting alternatives....
  
  Robot makers must be loving the recent NLRB ruling, as well, which held McDonald’s parent corporation liable for franchisee employment practices. Can a kiosk file an employment grievance?

I'm surprised more fast food joints haven't done this already. I've been to gas stations, rest stops, and grocery stores that have self service touch screens for their deli's. mcdonalds was never meant to be a job to support a family...even management doesn't usually net a very high wage. with all the bitching and negative press their employees bring I'd have figured they'd just say fuck it and replace them with robots.

They were trying out some prototype robots to completely run the restaurants. But there were some really bad technical issues when someone ordered them to "Make me a hamburger" that need to be corrected first.