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Economy

Fast-food workers protest in 150 US cities, dozens arrested

2014-09-05

[Iran Press TV] Police have nabbed
Book 'im, Mahmoud!
dozens of protesters across the United States during demonstrations by fast-food workers demanding better pay and working conditions.

On Thursday, the fast-food workers staged protests in some 150 US cities in the latest attempt to escalate their efforts to get McDonald's, Burger King and other fast-food companies to pay their employees at least $15 an hour, which is nearly double the salary they receive now.

Some 400 protesters gathered at Times Square in New York City during morning rush hour. They carried placards reading "Stick together for $15 and union rights," and several demonstrators held a sit-in at a McDonald's restaurant. Police arrested at least 19 protesters.

About 86 protesters were arrested in reliably Democrat Chicago, aka The Windy City or Mobtown
... home of Al Capone, a succession of Daleys, Barak Obama, and Rahm Emmanuel,...
, bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit
... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang...
, Las Vegas and Little Rock, Arkansas, organizers said. Another nine arrests were made in Boston.

Police accused protesters of disorderly conduct and violation of peaceful gathering laws.

The protests, which are part of the "Fight for $15" campaign, began in late 2012.

Posted by:Fred

#20 Worth waiting for Ed. My dad took took me to one in Pensacola about 45 years ago as they began inching east along I-10. The visit was a revelation that cured me of My childish burger hang ups.

When I visit Whataburger, I always park and go inside, their by saving gas enough to pay for Jalapeano on both burgers.

I have high school stories, many that revolve around Whataburger, forged hall passes, 33 minutes, 3/4 mile and a rat motored Monte Carlo.

Posted by: Shipman 2014-09-05 23:19

#19 Shipman, Whataburger is frequently known in Texas (it's home) as Waitaburger.
As long as you're not in a hurry, it's good. Made to order.

Posted by: ed in texas 2014-09-05 20:19

#18 Correction: "Know-nothing" as well as "no-nothing."

Posted by: JohnQC 2014-09-05 19:42

#17 Double the wage and the price of burgers and everything else at MickeyDs will increase to cover this new cost. If this occurs across the board, these people who are pushing for $15/hr will find that they can't afford to eat out anymore--even at low-priced, fast food joints. The concept will be destroyed and another American icon gets destroyed due to no-nothing idiots meddling in the free-market.

Posted by: JohnQC 2014-09-05 19:40

#16 I can think of alot of people who have invested alot more sweat and money in their training and education that don't nail down $15/hr.
My first jobs as a construction worker didn't pay $15/hr, what makes these toads think they are worth $7.25/hr much less 15?

Posted by: bigjim-CA 2014-09-05 16:50

#15 There is a fast food chain in Kansas City called Winsteads. It is towards the top of city things I miss list.

This day of protest has been in the works for a while now, and was supposed to be some great push. Not very impressive, and I'm sure the good folks blocking morning rush at Times Square made an impression.

Posted by: swksvolFF 2014-09-05 16:34

#14 The ironic thing is they are pricing themselves out of a job. It becomes more cost efficient to just buy a robot. Cheaper on benefits and unemployment insurance too.

I have thought that this was the beginning of the new robotic/industrial age. People grew violent and held demonstrations the first time the industrial revolution started too.

Posted by: DarthVader 2014-09-05 16:29

#13 I'm all for the kids at Mickey D's getting $15 an hour. On one condition --

-- that all the interns at the Ford Foundation and all the other NGOs in DC and New York get $15 an hour as well.

If it's good enough for McDonalds, it's good enough for the Open Society folks...

Posted by: Steve White 2014-09-05 15:21

#12 How many protestors are actually current fast food employees? How many are just hired protestors?

Posted by: rjschwarz 2014-09-05 15:02

#11 Some fast food chains are linking the drive through to call centers. With the automated teller at the counter they can reduce staff by 30%.

Posted by: 49 Pan 2014-09-05 13:22

#10 SEIU supported, of course

Posted by: Frank G 2014-09-05 12:51

#9 You've never had a WataBurger evidently. Some things are worth idealizing. Altho, it's only borderline fast.

Posted by: Shipman 2014-09-05 10:52

#8 Let's stop idealizing the fast food meal.

Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2014-09-05 10:39

#7 Teller and McDonalds cashier, two damn fine starter jobs if you can do 'em for a year

It's an education.

Posted by: Shipman 2014-09-05 10:16

#6 My wife used to work at McD's. A while ago. When the cashier had to know what each thing cost and be able to accurately enter that price into the register. And to make correct change without the machine calculating it. And to balance the cash drawer at the end of her shift.
The movie 'Idiocracy' is a documentary.

Posted by: Glenmore 2014-09-05 09:01

#5 Supply-Demand. 10 million illegals with low skills depressed the native population's ability not only to get the jobs, but any need to naturally increase wages. These lemmings don't grasp that 10 million future yellow dog Donk voters are more important than a real wage to the socialists.

McDonald's hires 7,000 touch-screen cashiers

Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-09-05 08:58

#4 Already have minimum income, Mike, via the many welfare programs. And it's high enough that many people are unwilling to work for low wage jobs, which amount to a pay cut. I guess if you raised the minimum wage - without raising welfare benefits - some of those people would be motivated to work, but of course there would then be fewer jobs available, until inflation caught up, and then we'd have to raise the welfare benefits to compensate. The fundamental flaw in all of this is the refusal to see that a job is 'worth' what it is worth (supply and demand), not what someone declares it is worth. That can suck, but that's how it is.

Posted by: Glenmore 2014-09-05 08:04

#3 They could double the pay of every worker at McD's and it would not affect my purchases there at all.
It seems to me the better way to fight the evil giant corporation would be to pressure your governments to quit protecting them from competition - from lemonade stands to food trucks to home kitchens. Government claims it's all to protect you (and the children) from unsafe and unsanitary food vendors but I think they lie - have gotten sick from a Big Mac but never from a food truck.

Posted by: Glenmore 2014-09-05 07:50

#2 ...Was just reflecting upon this issue, and a thought occurred to me: I wonder if the '$15.00-an-hour' movement might be the beginning of a movement to get a guaranteed national minimum income....

Mike

Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2014-09-05 07:47

#1 Genius, pure genius.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-09-05 05:46

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