NEW YORK — Workers at McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants across New York walked out Monday in a one-day strike to demand better pay and the right to unionize, calling for minimum wage to more than double from $7.25 to $15 an hour and the end to what activists called "abusive labor practices."
"It's noisy, it's really hot, fast, they rush you. Sometimes you don't even get breaks. All for $7.25? It's crazy," said Nathalia Sepulveda, who works at a McDonald's opposite Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where one protest took place.
Outside the McDonald's as well as a Wendy's in lower Manhattan, workers chanted "we can't survive on $7.25" and "supersize our wages." At the Wendy's, the crowd shouted at customers not to go in and two police officers were stationed inside.
They were among hundreds of people who took part at locations throughout New York, activists said. Similar strikes were planned across the country this week, organized by the national Fast Food Forward campaign, which was launched last year to tackle stagnating wages and the proliferation of low-wage jobs as the nation recovers from the recession, said campaign director Jonathan Westin.
Outside the McDonald's as well as a Wendy's in lower Manhattan, workers chanted "we can't survive on $7.25" and "supersize our wages." At the Wendy's, the crowd shouted at customers not to go in and two police officers were stationed inside.
They were among hundreds of people who took part at locations throughout New York, activists said. Similar strikes were planned across the country this week, organized by the national Fast Food Forward campaign, which was launched last year to tackle stagnating wages and the proliferation of low-wage jobs as the nation recovers from the recession, said campaign director Jonathan Westin.
Have to make a comment here .. All these places, where we can afford to eat, have been open for many years, why, now, all of a sudden, is there a problem ... OH, I know why, some union has gotten (generally with gifts, money, vacations, etc) to some "vocal" employees and started this chain reaction. I would not be surprised if, in the past, a plan was formulated to get some of "their" people hired, and let the plan start working. How many people are we talking about, employees of "these" places, millions. And a few, probably bought and paid for, are causing this. This could be the end of "fast" food, affordable meals. It won't happen overnight, it will take some time, but eventually, they will fade away .... no more Big Macs. Walmart will be next, and then we won't be able to afford anything, anywhere .... except .... from the government ... wonder if Washington had anything to do with this??????
