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Fast-Food Workers Strike in NYC

Organizers hope to unionize, raise hourly wage

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 29, 2012 12:06 PM CST

(Newser) – Fast-food workers walked off the job today across New York City in what may be the biggest effort yet to unionize the industry's workers, reports Reuters. The one-day protest was hitting the likes of McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Papa Johns, Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc. The main gripe of the "Fast Forward Campaign" is low pay, and organizers want $15 an hour, which would roughly double the pay of most workers.

"They're not paying us enough to survive," a McDonald's worker taking part in the protest tells Salon. "I think we need to be heard." The group New York Communities for Change is leading the effort, which has the support of community and religious groups, notes the New York Times. The walkout comes after nonunion workers at Walmart staged protests of their own last week. Click for more.

Fast-food workers in New York City were staging a protest today over wages.
Fast-food workers in New York City were staging a protest today over wages.   (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 129 comments
Joe_American
Dec 1, 2012 2:24 PM CST
This is just wrong.  Fast food workers should not strike.  It is UN-AMERICAN.  An it is not Christian for fast food workers not to service people.   I support the Dollar value meal.  America is in an economic depression.  How can fast food workers do this?  If wages go up, fast food places will remove the dollar value meal.  95% of Americans are alive because of the Dollar Value Meal.
thirdimpact
Nov 29, 2012 11:19 PM CST
We are such a narcissistic, self-entitled culture. Some jobs just don't deserve good pay. It's that simple.
Kookey90
Nov 29, 2012 9:47 PM CST
If the workers and unions are not careful, the fast food business being as standardized as it is, I wouldn't be surprised if these low paid/unskilled employees currently working repetitious jobs in the kitchens may not be replaced by robotics (no sick leave, no annual vacations, no 401K's, no employee gripes, no unions, etc).  Just stick your $5 bill in the slot and out comes your Happy Meal. I assume the big fast food franchises have already been giving this a thought.
 

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