WE'RE NOT Russia N , WE ' RE ukrainian

JACK SIERPUTOWSKI Mercury Staff

The new automated fast food workflow is a dangerous sign of corporate greed amidst a cost of living crisis. Working people and college students alike have long subsisted on customer service, whether that be in retail or fast food. So how would we survive if that was no longer an option? Well, a pilot test location for McDonald’s in Fort Worth has endeavored to answer that question with a setup that takes front end workers out of the equation entirely. A corporate blog post from December claims that the new restaurant is “designed for customers on the move.” Despite this assertion, McDonald’s goes to extreme lengths to prove that there is only one thing new about this establishment: it takes another wage out of the bottom line and paves the way for future automation.

“Inside the restaurant, there’s a delivery pick-up room for couriers to retrieve orders quickly and conveniently,” the blog post said. “There are also kiosks, where customers can place their orders to go, and a pick-up shelf for orders. Outside the restaurant, there are several parking spaces dedicated to curbside order pick-up, as well as designated parking spaces for delivery drivers.”

This is a convoluted way of saying there is nothing really revolutionary about the design. Don’t let the loaded language confuse you. Pickup and drive-thru ordering are already popular enough to become a focus for McDonald’s, especially since the pandemic. So, what is so time saving about picking up your order from a conveyor belt instead of getting it from a pickup shelf?

Proponents of automation may bring up the introduction of conveyor belts to sushi restaurants, where it promises increased efficiency and fewer server wages. But even conveyor belt sushi restaurants usually have human servers and clean-up staff, someone to provide a friendly welcome and presence in the customer’s eating experience.

Automation may save money, but not enough to remove humans from the picture entirely, because the customer experience ultimately suffers. There’s one other change to the workflow that jumps out. Not only are there fewer workers, but the few that remain are conveniently hidden from sight. Efficiency aside, this model also segregates the establishment’s employees from the public so effectively that they are essentially invisible. And there’s no way to know if people are getting overworked if you can’t even see them. We at least know that the owner’s stance on employee treatment is clear.

“The technology in this restaurant not only allows us to serve our customers in new, innovative ways, it gives our restaurant team the ability to concentrate more on order speed and accuracy, which makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone,” franchisee Keith Vanecek said in the blog post.

Cashiers serve a vital purpose in many industries. They give a face to the brand image with a smile, and most importantly, bridge the backstage workers to the outside world. Humans are not machines. We run on social contact, not electricity. You can’t just put someone in a closed off room and have them serve food to a conveyor belt. Many restaurants have leaned more into takeout while still keeping a human presence at the counter. It isn’t impossible to have both. Unless, of course, you care more about profit than the mental health of your employees. Sorry, humans aren't machines. But the corporate world sure treats service workers like they are.

Over the past ten years, remote and app orders have become widespread in fast food and other industries. When I worked retail, I thought it was an advantage— that it could make the job of employees easier by saving the time spent in a social interaction. But corporations don’t push technology like this because they genuinely want to make customer service jobs easier. Obviously, there is an immediate bonus of cutting costs through efficiency. But more importantly, it lays the groundwork to phase us out of the work force entirely.

We will eventually approach the point where computers or AI are cost-effective enough to replace some customer service employees entirely. Under the lens of money-saving, this seems to make sense. After all, companies will always choose the cheapest option. But this undervalues the true role of customer service, which is right in the name. Customers will always prefer a human face to an LCD screen, and it is difficult to put a price tag on consumer satisfaction.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but it seems fitting that this establishment comes in December 2022, after the Great Resignation, when the labor force has shrunk more than ever. You might ask, so what? If people don’t want to work, then obviously McDonald’s has to replace them somehow. But the truth is that amongst a cost of living crisis, people desperately want to work. Employers just don’t want to pay. If Americans refuse to work for minimum wage, some companies would rather double down and just take us out of the equation.

So, please. If you’ve ever known the pain of a menial customer service job, don’t feed the robots. Eat somewhere that takes care of its employees, not one trying to erase them from the workforce.

Ukrainians have suffered greatly at the hands of Russians, in part due to the international community’s insufficient response to Russian imperialism.

I wear many different labels. I'm a Comet, a Houstonian, a Texan, an American, a Ukrainian and a Crimean Tatar. However, it has become obvious to me that not many of my peers on campus know much about the latter two. Having not met any Crimean Tatars or Ukrainians outside my family or cultural settings, usually, when people hear that I am descended from this region, they automatically assume I am Russian.

To be labeled as Russian when I am not is hurtful, and small actions such as incorrect labels show the ignorance in how students view Eastern Europe.

Russia has been oppressing Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians for hundreds of years, using their dominance to overshadow both groups. It’s imperative to know now more than ever that as we speak, Russia is silencing our voices, ripping away our culture and taking over our land. Being aware of the atrocities that the Russian government is committing against Ukraine will ensure no Ukrainian will ever have to label themselves as Russian.

Russia has been expanding their bounds since the beginning of the 21st century. They have been killing, destroying and erasing any group of people that stands in their way of the reunification of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. For the past 10 years, Russia has been sowing the seeds of anti-Ukrainian propaganda in the American media. The Kremlin, government of the Russian federation, spends over $300 million per year spreading disinformation and toxic rhetoric on hundreds of different platforms, specifically social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The goal in this propaganda is to have more foreigners, specifically Americans, support

Russia’s “expansion” and reunification of the former Soviet Union. However, despite Russia’s propaganda campaign, at the beginning of the war, the support for Ukraine was undeniable. I was honestly shocked at the number of my peers and prominent American figures showing support for one of the less recognized countries in Europe. The momentum was strong. Biden and Congress immediately showed tremendous support for Ukraine by supplying military arms, contributing economic aid and severing business, economic and military ties with Russia.

However, since those few months, there has been a loss in traction and support. According to a September poll by the Pew Research Center, Americans’ concerns about Ukraine have lessened. In March, only 7% of Americans said the US was providing “too much support to Ukraine.” However, in September, that number has now shot up to 20% of Americans believing we give too much to Ukraine. This number is even more frightening given that Republicans have taken over the house, and polls show that they’re less concerned about Ukraine's war effort than in March. Social media and news, in general, tend to have this effect when a global tragedy hits; it’s big news for a little while, and then it’s dead silent after about a month or so. I have seen this pattern consistently since 2020. However, war doesn't stop when the media stops reporting on it, nor does it stop when social media users stop posting about it. If Ukrainians start losing aid, they'll lose access to critical military arms and much-needed economic assistance.

Crimeans were forced to label themselves as Russian again in 2014. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, illegally invaded and annexed Crimea with overwhelming disapproval from the U.S. as well as the international community. Crimean Tatars — including my Babushka (grandmother)

— were forced to forgo their Ukrainian citizenship and take on Russian citizenship instead. Frightened about their future in their homeland, at least 10% of the remaining Crimean Tatars in Crimea fled to the mainland, Ukraine, to escape the Russian regime. At that point, the U.S. imposed strong sanctions against the Russian government. However, these sanctions didn't deter Russia from its position in Crimea. There should have been more decisive action then, maybe including a military response instead of just economic. If there had been a more robust backing from the world instead of just “calling for peace” and sanctions, Russia probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to fully invade Ukraine in the coming years.

It is essential that we, as future leaders and the next generation, speak out about the humanitarian crisis happening to our allies. Email, call and write to your local, state and federal representatives and ask them to continue supporting aid to Ukraine. If enough constituents speak out about a specific subject, representatives will notice and, hopefully, take action. Continue showing your support for Ukraine by being outspoken on social media, donating to Ukrainian fundraisers and charities and supporting Ukrainian individuals and businesses. Although these acts seem small, you are doing your part in helping millions of Ukrainians keep their freedoms. Ultimately, pay more attention to how you label your Eastern European peers. It is inaccurate and hurtful to carelessly mix Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in with Russia given all of the trauma and pain we have endured.

I am not Russian, my sister is not Russian, my mother is not Russian and my grandmother is not Russian. Our label is Ukrainian and forever will be. Slava Ukraini!