Shaniqua Davis, center, who works at a McDonald's earning $7.25 an hour, speaks at a fast food workers' protest outside a McDonald's restaurant on New York's Fifth Avenue, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013. Organizers say thousands of fast-food workers are set to stage walkouts in dozens of cities around the country Thursday, part of a push to get chains such as McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's to pay workers higher wages. New York City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn listens, at right.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fast-food protests are underway in cities including New York, Chicago and Detroit, with organizers expecting the biggest national walkouts yet in a demand for higher wages.

Similar protests organized by unions and community groups over the past several months have brought considerable media attention to a staple of the fast-food industry — the so-called "McJobs" that are known for their low pay and limited prospects. But it's not clear what impact, if any, they will have on business.

In New York, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined about 300 to 400 workers and supporters in a march before flooding inside a McDonald's near the Empire State Building on Thursday morning. Shortly after the demonstration, however, the restaurant seemed to be operating normally and a few customers said they hadn't heard of the movement. The same was true at a McDonald's a few blocks away.

The lack of awareness among some illustrates the challenge workers face. Participating workers, who are asking for $15 an hour and the right to unionize, still represent a tiny fraction of the industry. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which works out to about $15,000 a year for full-time employees.

The movement comes amid calls from the White House, some members of Congress and economists to hike the federal minimum wage. But most proposals seek a far more modest increase than the one workers are asking for, with President Barack Obama wanting to boost it to $9 an hour.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Labor Secretary Thomas Perez compared the protests to the demands of demonstrators in the 1963 March on Washington, who sought a national minimum wage to give workers better living standards.

"For all too many people working minimum wage jobs, the rungs on the ladder of opportunity are feeling further and further apart," said Perez, who's taking a lead role in Obama's push for a higher minimum wage.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 2 million works in health care, janitorial and other industries, has been providing financial support and training for local organizers in the fast-food strikes around the country.
Organizers say the walkouts will hit more than 50 cities on Thursday, following a series of strikes that began last November in New York City. The biggest effort so far was over the summer when about 2,200 of the country's millions of fast-food workers staged a one-day strike in seven cities.

Ryan Carter, a 29-year-old who was walking out of the McDonald's where workers demonstrated on Thursday, said he "absolutely" supported workers' demands for higher wages. "They work harder than the billionaires in this city," he said. But Carter, who was holding a cup of the chain's coffee he bought for $1, said he didn't plan to stop his regular trips to McDonald's.

More:http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2300776-fast-food-protests-underway.html#.2299618-stage-related1-2

Laila Jennings, a 29-year-old sales associate at T.J. Maxx, was eating at a McDonald's in New York City this week and said she hadn't heard of the movement. Still, she said she thinks workers should be paid more. "They work on their feet all day," Jennings said, adding that $12 to $15 an hour seemed fair.

As it stands, fast-food workers say they can't live on what they're paid. Shaniqua Davis, 20, lives in the Bronx with her boyfriend, who is unemployed, and their 1-year-old daughter. Davis has worked at a McDonald's a few blocks from her apartment for the past three months, earning $7.25 an hour. Her schedule varies, but she never gets close to 40 hours a week. "Forty? Never. They refuse to let you get to that (many) hours."

Her weekly paycheck is $150 or much lower. "One of my paychecks, I only got $71 on there. So I wasn't able to do much with that. My daughter needs stuff, I need to get stuff for my apartment," said Davis, who plans to take part in the strike Thursday.

She pays the rent with public assistance but struggles to afford food, diapers, subway and taxi fares, cable TV and other expenses with her paycheck. "It's really hard," she said. "If I didn't have public assistance to help me out, I think I would have been out on the street already with the money I make at McDonald's."


What do you say?

Let em walk.
Plenty people willing to take their place.

They don't realize that these type jobs are for after school or for college students. They are part-time low skill jobs. Come on, they want to make a career out of Burger King? I feel for them but they should put their efforts in finding a real job or education.

Like hog calling?

If I was forced to pay the 15.00 an hour they are demanding, I'd certainly hire a better class of worker than what I'm seeing on the news.

That was my thoughts..... no more after school jobs for kids! Mickey D's will be hiring college grads at $15 and hr!

Those in that picture will protest themselves right out of a job, then scream the white man is holding them down not even realizing they're being played by the unions to better fill their coffers!

The unions don't care what group, color, race or creed has the job, they just know that at higher wages their take is better!

Enter the dynamic duo of NotSoSharpton and Jackasson! They'll see the dollar signs in this one! I bet the anticipation keeps them up at night planning how to spend their new found wealth!

I worked 40 years in my field. Last wage was $22 an hour, and today those jobs are being filled at $8-10 an hour.... and part time!

the biggest portion of min wage earners are service AND OFFICE at 3/5 and 1/4 of the minimum wage population

http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2011tbls.htm#4

people also overlook that the minimum wage SETS the standard for what those who might pay slightly more can get away with

all the information about how minimum wage is for 'unskilled' labor completely discounts all the other labor that is paid only slightly more and therefore not counted in those numbers


,,, I believe people who give an honest day work, whether we deem it a 'low skill' job or not,, should have a wage that is livable,,,,

that's just my opinion

Your "opinion" will end after school employment for kids and turn ALL jobs into skilled labor jobs, not to mention the drain on the economy that has already brought us such things as outsourced jobs, part-time employment, loss of benefits, a $17T debt and sequestration!

Let's also not forget that EVERYONE is subject to min wage requirements, so that effectively does away with all the Mom & Pops and clears the way for corporations to have free reign!

i hope they fire all these idiots and hire news ones a 11.00 bucks an hour... that will teach these idiots...

weren't you the one who claimed people can 'find' ways to make money
I expect the young healthy ones to be the most resourceful in doing just that

people, at every point that the min wage has been raised, have claimed the same things, and yet,, teens still find work, high schoolers too,,

a skilled job is not a skilled job because of its wage, but because of the training involved

and the economy is drained when people don't have money(decent jobs), to spend and put BACK INTO The economy, so profits can be made, and better wages can therefore be paid

I think 11 is an awesome low bar for what employers should be able to pay,,, ID sign that petition anyday

well great, raise the prices even more...thanks...

remember who's going to pay for their raise...

And these jobs are coming from where? Obozo?

The middle class, the backbone of America, the ones that employ, have been gutted by regulation, taxes, and rezoning. That leaves only the corporations and its lobbyists to turn to for jobs..... and they have sent them overseas!

Maybe he should take the Millions he's been "awarded" and create a few jobs instead of costing the taxpayers money or telling them how to spend theirs at every turn!

Let's also not forget that EVERYONE is subject to min wage requirements, so that effectively does away with all the Mom & Pops and clears the way for corporations to have free reign!

Haven't you liberals gutted America enough or must you now eat from her rotting corpse?

lol , you suggested 11 dollars

and what prices are you talking about? the price of the dollar menu?

lol, I think we can accommodate the change,,lol

So you are now auditing the books of every American family to know this?

its not the jobs, its the WAGES,, and Im sure the numbers can come out ok if some at the top were REDUCED,, but no, that's espionage in capitalist heaven

and

again, if people are PAID more they can SPEND more (Even at mom and pops stores)

employers (Even mom and pop stores) can therefore MAKE MORE PROFIT and pay more in wages


its the law of supply and demand,, as long as the wages are supplied, the demand can be met,,,,,simple

It's called GET AN EDUCATION!

Don't want to flip burgers or clean the stanky toilets in my office?

Quit pumpin kids ya can't afford, lose the po me attitude, get an education. Then,git out there and bust yer a$$ til you can afford kids.

plenty of people with COLLEGE EDUCATION MAking min wage and near minimum wage


many don't want to go into debt that their may be no decent wage to cover when they finish attaining it


its not so simple as blaming it on the wageearner every time,,,,

the system of employment is not keeping up with the economy and is due for a tweak

College educated?

Like in, Mickey D U?