Fast Food Workers Take a Stand for Higher Wages

"We can’t survive on $7.25!” “15 and a union!”; Chants from a group of over 200 unsatisfied workers and their supporters fill the atmosphere of drive-thru lanes of an Atlanta Burger King. Workers from all over the world demonstrate just however serious they are about their demands. On Thursday, May 15th employees of the fast food industry formed a united front to combat against the minimum wage. The average worker at your local McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and other similar chain restaurants brings home $9.00 an hour, which only equates to $18,000 a year. To think that some are working for the federal minimum wage, $7.25, makes matters even worse. Four States actually have a minimum wage of less than the federal amount, (AR-$ 6.25, GA- $5.15, MN-$6.15, WY- $5.15). It’s one thing for adolescents to have after school or part time jobs with incomes within this range, however, it’s hard to imagine how any adult could live off of $18,000 or less a year. While difficult to fathom, it unfortunately is a sad truth for many. Not only are they trying to support themselves but many have the financial burden of feeding and providing for their families as well.  

On Friday, 5/16, 150 cities, including NY and LA , as well as 30 countries, Germany, Japan and the U.K just to name a few, joined together campaigning for an hourly rate increase to $15. Although this is across several different fast food chains, it seems that McDonalds’ employees have taken the lead. The majority of these chains are very lucrative, and McDonald’s having built its own multi-million dollar empire, is profitable to say the least. In response to demand for an almost doubled wage rate, these companies are claiming that the increase of labor costs will only hurt business owners and increase reluctance toward hiring and possibly even force owners to reduce head count. If fast food workers’ demands are met, there will certainly be many industries to follow suit. President Obama is already proposing a minimum wage increase to $10.10/hr. If the federal minimum wage is only increased to $10.10, how can fast food employees ask for $15? As harsh as it may sound, I am sure the question of whether someone flipping burgers should make more than a janitor, a retail clerk, or a city maintenance man.