"Very soon afterwards MacDonalds rolled out their automated ordering screens as these were now cheaper than the people that used to do the job."
If you read the article, it betrays its own premise. If the (location-specific) $15 minimum wage was the cause of the kiosk rollout in 2016 - then why were the screens rolled out nationwide? Why did the lower wage overseas McD's do it first? Why had McDonald's been working on self serve kiosks for a decade before then? The answer is nothing to do with labour costs in cities and states that pay $15 min wage - it's because kiosks increase spend, increase space for kitchen equipment and labour to speed up service, and reduce the amount of counter space required. The opinion piece (NB not news - in the US newspaper tradition, opinion pieces are subject to lower fact checking standards) is partisan hackery.
https://burgerlad.com/mcdonalds-touch-screen-ordering/amp/
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/06/07/mcdonalds-add-kiosks-citing-better-sales-over-face-face-orders/681196002/
https://www.lamasatech.com/blog/what-mcdonalds-self-order-kiosk-mean-for-fast-food/
Biting the hand that feeds IT
