Here’s why fast-food workers are striking in 500 U.S. cities
November 10, 2015 By Beatrice Gitau Christian Science Monitor
Fast-food workers, who recently won a $15 hourly wage in New York state, led a march and rally on Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn at the crack of dawn on Tuesday to demand $15 and the right to unionize for all working people. Shown: NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, who has been a supporter of a $15 minimum wage, speaks out at the rally, which took place outside the McDonalds at 82 Court St. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Comptroller
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Workers carrying banners reading “A living wage = quality care” and “On strike for work that sustains families” blocked traffic and rallied outside a McDonald’s in Downtown Brooklyn, Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
“The money I bring home can barely take care of my rent,” said protester Alvin Major, 50, a Guyanese native who said he earns about $1,200 a month with his job at a Brooklyn KFC, according to AP. “We need a wage that could take care of our basic necessities.”
The quest for higher minimum wages took a higher profile this week as fast-food workers staged protests in cities around the nation, pushing for $15 an hour and union rights.