Danny Alvarez protests at a fast food restaurant in Austin, Texas as part of national strikes. Photo / AP
Fast-food workers protested in United States cities, including New York, Chicago and Detroit yesterday, with organisers expecting the biggest national walkouts yet in a demand for higher wages.
The nationwide day of demonstrations came after similar actions organised by unions and community groups over the past several months.
Workers are
calling for the right to unionise without interference from employers and for pay of US$15 ($19.25) an hour. That's more than double the federal minimum wage of US$7.25 an hour, or US$15,000 a year for full-time employees.
Yesterday's walkouts and protests reached about 60 cities, including New York, Chicago and Detroit, organisers said. But the turnout varied significantly. Some targeted restaurants were temporarily unable to do business because they had too few employees, and others seemingly operated normally.
Ryan Carter, a 29-year-old who bought a US$1 cup of coffee at a New York McDonald's where protesters gathered, said he "absolutely" supported the demand for higher wages. "They work harder than the billionaires in this city," he said. But Carter said he didn't plan to stop his regular trips to McDonald's.
