Fast Food Public Cost Event Set For Noon Tuesday In North Wilmington

Event Releasing Study on the Impact of Fast Food Industry's Poverty-Level Wages ~

Fast-Food Strikers and Community Groups to Release New Report on the High Cost of Fast-Food Poverty Wages for Delaware Taxpayers

 

Responding to new research showing how fast-food poverty jobs force workers to rely on public assistance, groups demand New Castle County hold a hearing on poverty wages

 

WILMINGTON – Six weeks after Wilmington fast food workers made history by joining the nation’s largest ever fast food strike, local elected officials, fast-food workers, clergy and community leaders will gather at the Burger King on Concord Pike Tuesday, Oct. 15 at noon to unveil a new report from UC, Berkeley Fast Food Public Costs detailing how fast-food companies’ low wages and lack of benefits force workers to rely on taxpayer-funded public assistance.

 

Howard White, who joined the Aug. 29 Wilmington fast food strike, is one of thousands of Delaware fast workers relying on public assistance to survive. The overwhelming majority of Americans enrolled in public assistance programs work, but they don’t earn enough to get by. Despite working at Wendy’s, White relies on Medicaid and food stamps. On Tuesday, he’ll join other fast food workers and community leaders to urge New Castle County to take a hard look at the impact of poverty wages on the local economy.

 

In August, fast-food workers in Wilmington and 60 other cities across the country went on strike  demanding $15 per hour and a union, so they don’t have to rely on public assistance. McDonald’s, which made $5.5 billion in profits last year, recently made headlines for their controversial employee budget which belied that workers cannot survive on the wages they pay without a second job or public assistance. McDonald’s is known for telling employees that they should apply for food stamps or Medicaid to meet their basic needs.

 

WHO:

Fast food workers

Darlene Battle, Delaware Alliance for Community Advancement

State Rep. John Kowalko

Daisy Cruz, 32BJ SEIU

Ezra Temko, Delaware Americans for Democratic Action

Reverend Doug Gerdts, First and Central Presbyterian Church

WHAT: Press conference unveiling new report, Fast Food Public Cost. Groups call on County hold hearing on poverty wages. 

WHEN: Tuesday, October 15, 12:00pm

WHERE: Burger King, 2802 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE

Delaware Americans for Democratic Action also writes ~

Poverty Wages from Fast Food Industry Come at High CostFast Food Workers and Community Supporters Hold Press Conference to Release New Study

Wilmington, DE – Six weeks ago fast food workers in New Castle County made history by joining the nation's largest ever fast food strike.  Community leaders are again joining fast food workers for a press conference to release a new study, Fast Food Public Costs, that details the scope of taxpayer-funded public assistance attributable to the low wages and lack of benefits offered by the fast food industry.  Delaware fast food workers will share their stories, such as Howard White, who works at Wendy's but still relies on Medicaid and SNAP to survive.  Joining the fast food workers will be community leaders there to support the workers as they fight for fair wages and a union.

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