Thursday, December 5, 2013

Fast food strikes in 100+ cities

Fast food strikers in Chicago today
Fast-food workers are walking off the job in as many as 130 cities today to protest poverty wages and retaliation for trying to form a union.

The Associated Press has the story:
Fast-food workers and labor organizers are marching, waving signs and chanting in cities across the country Thursday amid a push for higher wages.The actions would mark the largest showing yet in a push that began a year ago. At a time when there's growing national and international attention on economic disparities, labor unions, worker advocacy groups and Democrats are hoping to build public support to raise the federal minimum wage of $7.25, or about $15,000 a year for full-time work... 
In New York City, about 100 protesters blew whistles and beat drums while marching into a McDonald's at around 6:30 a.m.; one startled customer grabbed his food and fled as they flooded the restaurant, while another didn't look up from eating and reading amid their chants of "We can't survive on $7.25!" 
Community leaders took turns giving speeches for about 15 minutes until the police arrived and ordered protesters out of the store. The crowd continued to demonstrate outside for about 45 minutes. A McDonald's manager declined to be interviewed and asked that the handful of customers in the store not be bothered.
From Twitter we learn:
  • In Durham, N.C., strikers are chanting: "Hold the burgers. Hold the fries. Make our WAGES super sized!"
  • Strikers in Washington, D.C., are marching with a sign that says, "It's time to supersize our economy."
  • A Ronald McGrinch is accompanying Chicago strikers as they march down Michigan Ave. 
  • Detroit's 6 a.m. strike was the largest yet. 

Our favorite tweet:
“I want to trade my food stamp card for A UNION CARD!” - Mary Coleman, @PopeyesChicken worker.  

Follow the action on Twitter with tge #FastFoodStrike hashtag.