McDonald's workers across 15 cities to strike for $15 minimum wage
Kansas City, Missouri – McDonald's workers in 15 cities across America will take part in a strike against the fast-food chain on Wednesday.
On May 19, the workers will join in demand of a $15 minimum wage – one day before the company's annual shareholder meeting.
Cashiers and cooks in Chicago, Detroit, Flint, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Oakland, Orlando, Sacramento, St. Louis, Tampa, and other cities will be participating.
According to Vice, McDonald's made $5 billion in profits in 2020, but despite that, the chain is having difficulty retaining employees. Republican lawmakers say Biden's $1.9-trillion coronavirus relief package and increased unemployment benefits are to blame.
But the strikers disagree. Terrence Wise, a McDonald's manager in Kansas City and father of three, makes $15.75 an hour without any paid sick leave or health care benefits. He says his income is barely enough to support his family.
Wise and the other strikers have a pretty simple solution to McDonald's executives' complaint: pay workers a livable wage.
"We made them that $5 billion in profit last year. There wouldn’t be shares to divide if we weren’t making burgers and McFlurries. Our message to shareholders on May 19 is you don't have to wait on legislation. You can pay us $15 an hour now, that should be the floor," Wise said.
McDonald's has tried to stifle demands for wage increases
Workers launched the Fight for $15 movement in 2012, but have so far not succeeded in getting a $15 minimum wage.
McDonald's previously stated that it was "the responsibility of federal and local government to set minimum wage."
Progressive efforts to secure a federal $15 minimum wage failed earlier this year when Republicans and moderate Democrats struck the proposal from the $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan.
McDonald's has actively tried to undermine its workers' push for economic justice by hiring a secret team to spy on the social media accounts of employees involved in the Fight for $15 movement.
The company also belongs to the National Restaurant Association and International Franchise Association, which have collectively spent over $3.2 million lobbying Congress against raising the federal minimum wage.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire