Fast Food Workers' Strike Update

Wilmington Fast-Food Workers Join Nationwide Strike Thursday
Movement for $15 and a Union Without Retaliation or Unfair Labor Practices Reaches Wilmington

Wilmington , DE– Fast-food workers in Wilmington walked off their jobs Thursday as part of the largest-ever strike to hit the $200 billion industry. Inspired by strikes earlier this summer in seven cities across the country, Wilmington workers will walk off their jobs for the first time, calling for $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation or unfair labor practices.

Thursday’s strike spanned 50 cities and every region of the continental United States. 

The Delaware chapter of Americans for Democratic Action, a progressive advocacy group, is supporting striking workers as a local partner.  Local clergy, elected officials, and community supporters joined fast-food workers on the strike lines and at rallies as the nationwide fight for higher wages hits Wilmington. 

In Wilmington, there are 7,336 fast-food workers. The median wage is $8.59. An adult with one child needs to make $21.84 an hour working full time in the Wilmington area just to afford the basics, according to a model developed by a professor at MIT.

In addition to Wilmington, strikes will hit cities all over the country, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York, Oakland Raleigh and Tampa. 

The strikes follow walkouts by fast-food workers in seven cities earlier this summer and are the latest in an escalating series of walkouts by workers across the country. Federally-contracted workers in Washington have walked off their jobs; a growing number of Walmart workers have gone on strike; warehouse workers walked out; carwash workers have hit the picket lines; and, earlier this week, America’s port drivers parked their trucks.

WHO	Workers at Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s; City Council members; state representatives; community supporters from Delaware Alliance for Community Advancement, Americans for Democratic Action, Occupy Delaware, National Organization for Women, and others; clergy; supporters.
WHAT	Workers walk off jobs in call for $15 an hour and the right to form a union without interference from employers or unfair labor practices
WHERE	Location details embargoed until 8am 8/29/13 *Strike Activity at 8am at Burger King, 1530 N. Dupont Highway, New Castle*Strike Activity at 9am at Burger King, 2802 Concord Pike. *Speak Out with community supporters at 10am at 2802 Concord Pike *Rally with community supporters at 3pm at Rodney Square.
WHEN	8am-4pm.  Strike activity at 8am and 9am, Community speakout at 10am and rally at 3pm.
WHY	Our country’s fastest growing jobs are also the lowest paid, slowing the recovery and hurting our local economy. While the fast food industry is making record profits, its workers are forced to rely on public assistance just to afford the basics. That’s why fast-food workers from across the country are joining together to fight for $15 an hour and the right to form a union without interference or unfair labor practices.

And TruthOut ~ Striking "For Our Dignity," US Fast Food Workers Walk Off

At least 80% of Americans will have or have had to experience poverty at some point in their lives, according to a recent survey. And demographics show that fast food workers are actually much older than the average high-school student – the average fast food worker is 28, and two-thirds are women with children, providing for families on a wage far below the poverty line with no benefits or collective bargaining rights. In the meantime, with $27 billion in annual revenue, McDonalds makes enough money to be the world’s 90th largest economy.

With more from (News Journal) Cori Anne Natoli reporting ~ Wage walkouts in fast-food industry

The wave of fast-food demonstrations comes as low-wage jobs dominate employment growth in the 4-year-old recovery and as more adults find themselves aging in positions that used to be career steppingstones for teenagers. The trend has strained the nation’s social safety net: More than a quarter of Americans earning less than $15 an hour receive one or more social services, such as food stamps and Medicaid, says the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Nearly 48 million people receive food stamps, more than in any year of the 2007-09 recession.
Persistently low wages for millions of Americans also dampens consumer spending and economic growth, economists say.
The frustrations of financially pressed Americans have sparked a movement to rally workers in fast-food and other industries long insulated from union influence, including Wal-Mart stores, car washes and port trucking companies. They often are workplaces reliant on temporary, part-time or immigrant employees who traditionally have been difficult to organize, and owned by powerful corporations that have vigorously discouraged union efforts.

And  Fast-food workers in Delaware strike during national event (VIDEO)

And some comment rescues ~ 

- They applied for and accepted the job knowing what the pay was. If they are unhappy with their pay they are free to get a higher pay job somewhere else. The American Dream has changed. It used to be "if you work enough you can accomplish your dreams". Now it is "complain enough and you will never have to work hard". I say if they get the raise their pay should be cut everything they screw up an order. From what I have seen at local fast food restaurants the staff are over paid based on quality of service.
 
- Min wage is too low but they are asking for $ 15.00 an hour is too much especially when I have been working for a company more than 8 years and don't make that. I work 2 jobs and just make a little over that.

- I have college degree that I'm still paying for. These jobs are supposed to be for kids coming out of high school. Maybe José should have thought about getting an education and getting a higher paying job instead of knocking someone up. Don't worry José my tax dollars will help pay for your daycare and food stamps. I work hard and I know there's no way I can afford to have a child right now. I guess that's why José works at some low paying job. Because he's too wreckless to plan for the future. I worked hard for my degree and my job. I'll be highly upset if some burger flipper is going to make almost as much as I do. I worked in fast food for 5 years through part of high school and college. It was the easiest job I've ever had! 

- The Dreamer lives on through the fast food workers fighting for a livable wage. Amazingly but not surprisingly, there are people who believe they are the only ones entitled to make wage enough to not live well, but to at least LIVE. Steve Harvey on his Morning Show suggested that they not make $15/hr because all they do is sell chicken, was both insensitive and appalling. Fight-On Workers, we sand with you and by you.

- ok, so these workers knew they were getting low-wage jobs when they started, etc etc. But lets look at the top of the heap, the CEO's etc . How come they are getting MILLIONS a year ? They pretty much dont give a hoot about trying to live on poverty wages

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