This is really fucking stupid, but it's bothering me and the lovely folks of this sub are the only people in my social realm that have the critical thinking to understand why it bugs me so much.
Got into an argument with my friend (who works as a manager at McDonald's) about applying for an entry level job at a department store. My current employment is almost up (seasonal contract) and I need to save for college. She basically said that working at a dept. store would turn me into some sort of retail snob; the usual “retail workers think they're better than food service” horizontal oppression bullshit.
Initially it pissed me off because in my history of working, I haven't really had the privilege of staying at one place longer than eight months before a variety of issues (harassment, unpaid wages, bullying) have caused me to leave and have to find a new job.
Then she tried to tell me that “food service workers are *the* most exploited” as if I haven't worked five jobs (fast food being one of them) and haven't held that experience before. Stupid oppression olympics shit, service worker edition.
I told her that that was bullshit, and that all min. wage workers are exploited under capitalism and that while there are unique ways in which fast food service work is exploitative, that doesn't mean there aren't aspects of retail, restaurant work, construction etc. that are equally exploitative and shitty.
I think the managerial position is rotting her brain, and her own insecurities about “moving up” in the workplace are seeping out and being projected onto me. The job she has now is the only one she's ever had and while I understand she doesn't really “get it” from my (and I guess in the greater scheme of things, “our” and this sub's) POV but it didn't make me want to punch her any less.