NYC Fast Food workers protest for higher wages

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[h1]Fast-food workers in New York protest for higher wages[/h1]
11:12am EST

By Lisa Baertlein

(Reuters) - Fast-food restaurant employees protested in New York City on Thursday, demanding higher pay and the right to form a union - the latest attempt by lower-wage workers in the United States to increase their compensation.

The campaign, called "Fast Food Forward," seeks to roughly double hourly pay to $15 an hour and is being billed as the largest attempt to unionize U.S. fast-food workers.

Leading the effort is New York Communities for Change, a group that has helped unionize low-wage carwash and grocery workers in New York.

Strikes were scheduled at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Domino's restaurants around the city throughout the day.

Representatives from those companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Organizers told Reuters that 14 employees at a Midtown Manhattan McDonald's restaurant near Grand Central Station had walked off the job early on Thursday morning. All but three of those people were scheduled to work, said organizers, who said they expected hundreds of workers at dozens of restaurants to participate in Thursday's action.

Joshua Williams, 28, works at a Wendy's in downtown Brooklyn and said he would be among the workers walking out on Thursday.

Williams, who said he still made a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour after working at the restaurant for more than a year, hopes to earn enough to pay rent and buy necessities like food and clothing.

"We're asking for basic needs," said Williams, who works 30 to 40 hours a week and believes large fast-food companies can afford to pay workers more.

The U.S. fast-food industry has long been known for its low-paying jobs. What has changed since the last U.S. recession is that many adults now are competing with high school students for those positions - which often do not provide a living wage to full-time workers.

"People just can't find decent wage jobs," said Jonathan Westin, organizing director for NYCC. "The floor needs to be raised for everybody."

The campaign's backers include UnitedNY.org, the Service Employees International Union - which bills itself as the fastest-growing labor organization in North America - and the Black Institute, Westin said.

Richard Adams, a former McDonald's franchise director and restaurant owner who now advises the company's franchisees, said raising pay to $15 per hour would be an "insane increase" that would add at least $1 to $2 to the cost of a fast-food sandwich.

"There goes the Dollar Menu," Adams said, referring to McDonald's popular low-priced selections.

The protests come a week after OUR Walmart - a coalition of current and former Wal-Mart Stores Inc workers seeking better wages, benefits and working conditions - held protests at several Walmart stores across the United States.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Lisa Von Ahn)
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You'd see locations shut down before fast food workers made $15/hour especially being an occupation that has high turnover and requires little skill.
 
It's the truth though. People are trying to feed their families on 8 bucks an hour, low skill or wages can't continue to stay stagnant. Not to mention these greedy corporations and their attacks on labor. It's frustrating as hell.
 
That would be 33k a year gross for full time employees.

Never ever will happen.

Unless inflation gets to the point of where it costs $50 to put air in your tires, $3,000 Jordans, and $150 sodas.
 
CJ863 said:
It's the truth though. People are trying to feed their families on 8 bucks an hour, low skill or wages can't continue to stay stagnant. Not to mention these greedy corporations and their attacks on labor. It's frustrating as hell.
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Then where's the incentive to do better? This isn't a highly skilled job, and it takes minimal education.

No corporation is going to pay $15/hour for that.
 
FLAsurfing said:
That would be 33k a year gross for full time employees.

Never ever will happen.


Unless inflation gets to the point of where it costs $50 to put air in your tires, $3,000 Jordans, and $150 sodas.
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Unless we pay down our debt that wont b just a pipe dream.
 
It doesnt matter if these people dont have a college education. They work hard 30 to 40 hours a week and want to be able to provide for their families. I dont understand why some nters have problems with the poor. Everyone cant get a college education and be doctors and even if they did there arent enough of those jobs to go around. A man or women who is working full time should be able to cover their cost of living. 
 
Keep in mind this is ONLY in NY where the cost of living is astronomical and MickyDs is only paying these people $7.25.
 
Az102 said:
It doesnt matter if these people dont have a college education. They work hard 30 to 40 hours a week and want to be able to provide for their families. I dont understand why some nters have problems with the poor. Everyone cant get a college education and be doctors and even if they did there arent enough of those jobs to go around. A man or women who is working full time should be able to cover their cost of living. 
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I have no problem with the poor. ****, I grew up as poor as can be. My parents still aren't doing well. At the same time though, you have to be realistic. All these employees are easily replaced. They have little to no leverage.

I agree that a raise in the minimum wage is fair, but $15/hr as a fast food employee? That's not happening.
 
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Az102 said:
It doesnt matter if these people dont have a college education. They work hard 30 to 40 hours a week and want to be able to provide for their families. I dont understand why some nters have problems with the poor. Everyone cant get a college education and be doctors and even if they did there arent enough of those jobs to go around. A man or women who is working full time should be able to cover their cost of living. 
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Basically.

dankenstien88 said:
Keep in mind this is ONLY in NY where the cost of living is astronomical and MickyDs is only paying these people $7.25.
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And this. Isn't cost of living in NY one of the most expensive in the States and people are making $7.25? A ******g joke :x
 
Az102 said:
It doesnt matter if these people dont have a college education. They work hard 30 to 40 hours a week and want to be able to provide for their families. I dont understand why some nters have problems with the poor. Everyone cant get a college education and be doctors and even if they did there arent enough of those jobs to go around. A man or women who is working full time should be able to cover their cost of living. 
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No one said that NTers have problems with the poor, but $15 to do this is an outrageous demand especially when you have people WITH skills taking entry level jobs for <35K or doing temp jobs for slightly above minimum wage. They would be better off starting at $10 and then moving from there. There are many people out there who don't have college educations but manage to do well for themselves because they learned a trade. Fast food workers are typically young people which is why the rates have always been this low. They can be replaced at the snap of a finger by a high school junior who just wants some money so that he can hang out.
 
Hope restaurant servers are taking notes.

$15 is high but you obviously aim so you can reach a compromise. Probably gonna end up getting 10 or 12 and some perks or health insurance coverage :lol:
 
jhawk826 said:
Az102 said:
It doesnt matter if these people dont have a college education. They work hard 30 to 40 hours a week and want to be able to provide for their families. I dont understand why some nters have problems with the poor. Everyone cant get a college education and be doctors and even if they did there arent enough of those jobs to go around. A man or women who is working full time should be able to cover their cost of living. 
Click to expand...


No one said that NTers have problems with the poor, but $15 to do this is an outrageous demand especially when you have people WITH skills taking entry level jobs for
Click to expand...
 
jhawk826 said:
I live here, I know the situation so stop with the tables. Society has always paid below standard wages for jobs that aren't skilled. Do I think they should be compensated a bit more, yes, but $15 to do that is unreasonable.
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Hmmm lemme see. Should I look at the factual data or should I just take your opinion on it? #NTLOGIC

The real data is right there in front of you, **** your opinion.
 
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CJ863 said:
jhawk826 said:
I live here, I know the situation so stop with the tables. Society has always paid below standard wages for jobs that aren't skilled. Do I think they should be compensated a bit more, yes, but $15 to do that is unreasonable.
Click to expand...
Hmmm lemme see. Should I look at the factual data or should I just take your opinion on it? #NTLOGIC

The real data is right there in front of you, **** your opinion.
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laugh.gif
**** my opinion. Suck ****.
 
It just burns me up to know that there are honest people out there who slave away at their job working multiple jobs and they can barley survive. Realistically alot of companies can't afford to pay higher wages cause they would go bankrupt and then everyone would be out of a job. But at the same time like someone said above wages arent even keeping up with inflation. If a company can afford to pay more then it should especially if their employees are hurting. 
 
Az102 said:
It just burns me up to know that there are honest people out there who slave away at their job working multiple jobs and they can barley survive. Realistically alot of companies can't afford to pay higher wages cause they would go bankrupt and then everyone would be out of a job. But at the same time like someone said above wages arent even keeping up with inflation. If a company can afford to pay more then it should especially if their employees are hurting. 
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that's how money works.
someone needs to be poor for someone to be rich.

it will always be like this.
 
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