A Resignation Reset

by Dan Masterton

The labor shortage has cramped my style. My local Chick-fil-a discontinued curbside pickup, so now I have to wait in the drive-through line or schlepp my kids inside to the carry-out benches. My go-to Dunkin’ drive-through stopped taking advance mobile orders. My local Potbelly started closing at 5pm, so we can’t grab dinner there anymore.

These are minor problems. I will be fine.

And anyway it’s an invitation to chill – acknowledge the inconvenience and think about it for a bit.

I can review my own habits. Am I getting drive-through and carryout too much? Could I brew my coffee at home more often? Do I need to come up with some new recipe and grocery ideas? The answer is basically always yes. I try to be a minimalist as much as I can, and I would be better served recalibrating my habits here.

I can scrutinize my consumption. Typically, when I run into these inconveniences, it’s when I’m consuming from big, national chains. I could pivot to choosing more local options, choosing them more often, whether when deciding between items in the grocery aisles or when choosing a coffee shop or a carryout restaurant. Moreover, even within that, there’s a chance to think about acting to more directly benefit the producers and local economy most, through avenues like ordering carryout directly from the place, by calling in or going in-person rather than using a middle-man online service.

I can consider why there’s a labor shortage. Some have suspicions about the degree to which public benefits may disincentivize work. I don’t find that suspicion to be true or worrisome, and I think those benefits should be very minimally means-tested, if at all (our care for brothers and sisters in solidarity should be gift, and should build collectivism).

In this case, with labor demand so high, it’s an opportunity for workers to leverage for higher base rates, signing bonuses, greater benefits like paid time off, and more. A true capitalist (myself included!) would say that something is worth what the market will bear, and right now it appears the market is being moved to setting higher compensation and benefits for “unskilled work.” Sure, that may change as future conditions change, and it could create a pop-able bubble, but every increment of progress sets a precedent that impacts future considerations. Catholic Social Teaching holds that workers are entitled to basic rights, including a just wage, collective action, and safe conditions. The friction over pursuing these rights means limited hours of operation, higher menu prices, or other issues that impact my convenience as a consumer, and I can deal.

This is approximately how Chipotle
makes my tummy feel.

No company is perfect, and many are guilty of tenuous practices, for sure. I do like to acknowledge companies that, even if still flawed, are at least taking substantive steps. Chipotle stands out to me as a place where supply chains have been maintained with integrity and ideals, where wages have risen, where benefits have been improved, and where they’ve transparently communicated about realities. I’ve seen them openly explain a processing charge connected to online orders, shortages due to items not meeting standards, and adjusted treatment of workers during the pandemic. With their good faith efforts at transparency, even when there are also negative anecdotes, it seems to me to be a place where I can continue enjoying my favorite foods while knowing there’s significant efforts at the right things.

I try to exercise thoughtful consumption as much as I can, but I do remain a capitalist. I’m generally looking for the best quality for the lowest price, exerting my consumer force on the market. There are times when I feel less guilty about this – such as pitting mortgage origination companies against each other to secure the best terms for my home payments. And then there’s those times when I feel more guilty about this – like when I lazily drive through Dunkin’ instead of parking and going inside the one local coffee shop in my town.

I can certainly be a capitalist and a Catholic, but only if I don't compartmentalize. I cannot sacrifice morality or social justice in cold pursuit of the best quality for the lowest price. Easier said than done. I need to strive to honor solidarity and the dignity of work. I need to consider the poor in how I spend and consume. And I need to find better ways to honor subsidiarity, focusing more of my economic activity on local and small businesses who work, own, manage, and live locally.