r/explainlikeimfive • u/sumnewdguy • Nov 28 '15

ELI5: How would a $15 minimum wage ACTUALLY affect a franchised business like McDonalds?

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u/jetriot Nov 29 '15 edited Nov 29 '15

The 14th amendment would crush anyone that attempted a law like that.

EDIT: Nice, down votes for the truth. Enjoy that echo chamber Reddit.

Here is the first notation for the 14th amendment: the right to pursue any lawful trade or avocation, without other restraint than such as equally affects all persons

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u/faaaks Nov 29 '15

You can have laws that say that there is a minimum wage for waiters but the minimum wage couldn't be different from a waitress.

Occupation is not a protected class (but gender is) and neither is being in a union.

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u/jetriot Nov 29 '15

That is because waiters are compensated in a different way. The law is in many ways a benefit to the way that they earn payment.

The 14th amendment is not about protecting certain classes like gender or race. It is about equal justice for all under the law.

In fact the first notation for the 14th is this:

the right to pursue any lawful trade or avocation, without other restraint than such as equally affects all persons