Americans love fast food because it’s cheap and, well, fast. But that Big Mac may cost more than you think.
New research shows that more than half of the front-line employees at fast-food restaurants rely on public assistance to survive – a rate double that of the overall workforce. This costs American taxpayers nearly $7 billion every year.
Meanwhile, the fast food industry made $7.4 billion last year and can easily afford to pay their employees a living wage.
So on Thursday, December 5th, about 200 protesters shut down the Dunkin’ Donuts in Market Square while holding signs reading “$15 and a union” and chanting, “Raise fast food minimum wages now!”
The action lasted for about an hour then the crowd marched on to the McDonald’s on Liberty Avenue, continuing their protest of poverty wages for fast food workers.
Among the protesters were employees of Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell, and Bruegger’s Bagels who had walked off the job for a day as part of a nationwide fast food workers’ strike organized by the Service Employees International Union and, locally, by One Pittsburgh.
Workers walked off the job in more than 100 cities across the country as part of a labor union movement to increase the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour, as well as promoting the right of workers to form a union.
For the past year, fast food workers have been taking collective action to increase their wages. The majority of these workers are adults with families struggling to survive on the current minimum wage. Many are employed by some of the largest and most profitable corporations in the world but are having to work two or even three jobs to get by.
Fast food workers are following in the footsteps of previous generations who fought to build a middle class. The way to rebuild the middle class is to raise the minimum wage and to allow workers to form a union without interference.
Raising the minimum wage is one of the most effective ways to improve the economy as minimum wage earning workers will spend the increase on necessities such as food, rent and clothing, thereby putting money right back into local businesses.
Just Harvest supports these fast food workers and supports raising the minimum wage for all workers. We hope you’ll We hope you’ll join us at the next action.
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