Teachers Speak Out Against McDonald’s

The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union issued a letter asking that McDonald’s “leave our schools alone.” The subject of the letter is a fundraising event sponsored by the fast food giant called “McTeacher’s Night” where educators work unpaid behind the counter at their local McDonald’s and encourage their students to visit the restaurant during their shift, which in turn donates some portion of sales to pay for educational supplies. “The corporation exploits the trust between teachers and students to promote its junk food,” the letter states. UTLA Vice President Cecily Myart-Cruz says the practice is “predatory marketing of fast food to children,” and reveals that McDonald’s only donates $1 per child, which she says is “a ridiculously small amount compared to the time teachers must spend participating and recruiting their students to attend.” Myart-Cruz urges teachers to reject McTeacher’s Night and asks that McDonald’s franchises cease approaching educators with “these harmful marketing tactics.” McDonald’s restaurants commonly partner with schools and children’s hospitals. Fortunately, administrators at these establishments are beginning to realize the harmful effects of promoting fast food to kids, as evidenced by the recent announcement that the on-campus McDonald’s at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, KY will shutter by the end of the year.