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
Fast-Food Workers Strike in NYC
Fast-food workers in New York City were staging a protest today over wages.   (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

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. (More fast-food industry stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X