Fast food workers are preparing for yet another large-scale walkout this Thursday, scheduled to unfold in 100 cities across the United States. Workers in New York, Charleston, Chicago and elsewhere have pledged to strike at their places of employment to demand wage increases to the tune of $15 per hour, up from the meager $7.25 they currently earn.
New York City workers began the better pay movement last year and have already staged multiple strikes and walkouts this year. "There's been pretty huge growth in one year," organizer Kendall Fells told the Times. "People understand that a one-day strike is not going to get them there. They understand that this needs to continue to grow."
Groups like Fast Food Forward and Fight for 15 are leading the charge, calling attention not only to the pitiful wages but also the myths surrounding the fast food worker demographic, which industry officials claim are mostly people under 25. That notion has been repeatedly dispelled, revealing that most workers are in their 20s or older, and a large portion of that number are also raising children.
Unsurprisingly, McDonald's and Wendy's are two establishments called out in this strike; we reached out to McDonald's officials for their thoughts on the walkout and we'll update if we hear back. For their part, the National Restaurant Association claims that these "publicity stunts" accomplish nothing and even if wages were increased, restaurants would turn to automated services to replace living workers. That's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.
