It is good news that McDonald’s is raising wages above the bare minimum for its employees. The nationwide campaign for a living wage by fast food workers is obviously responsible, and the workers who have fought for this increase should be applauded. However, the fact that a $1.00 raise for 90,000 workers is headline news is evidence of how low the bar has been set. All workers should receive regular wage increases as productivity rises, and yet despite rising productivity, Americans’ wages have been stagnant for three-and-a-half decades.

Moreover, the McDonald’s corporation is leaving behind the other 90 percent of McDonald’s employees who work at its franchises. If McDonald’s truly cares about its workforce, it should encourage its franchises to raise wages, or even require higher wages in its franchise agreements.