Like WTF!? "Starving? You can't afford 'good' food working here, but you can afford the food you're already making!"
Also, I worked in a lot of kitchens before and never once paid for a meal. "Damn son, didn't mean to put cheese on that! Guess I'll have to make another one."
Never pay a company for your food if you're the one making it.
And ABC
Always Be Collectivizing
Fr tho I tried organizing a Little Caesar's about a decade ago with the IWW. I was young and had no idea how to counter kids barely out of highschool who only associated "union" with "civil union" as in "gay marriage". A spectacular failure which taught me many lessons in the use of language.
As admirable as what you did is, I'm not certain how well trying to unionize young people who will not likely be working at the business within one year out would be that successful. This also goes into these people not really wanting to rock the boat and the anti-union propaganda they have heard a lot of their lives.
Not sure, tbh some might be more likely to go in for a union if they aren't going to stick around as they are less likely to be bothered about the prospect of getting fired. Probably wouldn't want to pay union fees though so would need to be a free union. The real problem with that kind of work is how easy it is to replace people, especially in times of high unemployment.