Fast Food Workers Plan Global Protests To Demand Higher Wages
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Labor organizers are calling for a worldwide fast food workers strike to demand higher wages next week.
Protests are planned for May 15 in 150 cities, including Seoul, Rome, Buenos Aires and New York.
"$10 not enough, $12 not enough. So therefore, that just shows that it's a start, it's a start for something better," organizer Naquasia LeGrand said. "We will be asking for $15 and the right to unionize without retaliation."
Walk-outs are planned at Burger Kings, Taco Bells, KFC and McDonald's.
"They're beginning to stand up and they're beginning to realize that this is no longer a game. This movement is happening and we're looking for the best," a Brooklyn McDonald's employee earning $8 an hour said. "Between bills, transportation and food, it won't be enough. It's just not enough to pay for the essentials in life."
"We shouldn't have to do all of this, they should just be willing to help us because we are working and we do work hard," a Brooklyn Popeye's employee said.
"We're going to keep fighting til we get what we deserve and it might seem like it's a slow process but we have accomplished a lot," LeGrand said.
The fast food workers' protests, which began in late 2012, have gained momentum as President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers seek to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
Although federal action seems unlikely, many states - including Connecticut - have done it on their own.
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