Thousands Of Protesters March For $15 Hourly Wages Across U.S.
Protests were also held overseas, including at a McDonald's at Disneyland Paris and outside the headquarters for the South Korea division of the fast-food giant.
ALEX DOBUZINSKIS
LOADINGERROR LOADING
Thousands of low-wage workers marched in New York, Los Angeles and other U.S. cities on Thursday calling for minimum pay of $15 an hour in a cause that has scored major legislative victories in California and New York state in recent weeks.
The union-backed "Fight for $15" campaign has expanded since its inception in 2012 from a movement mostly centered on the fast-food industry to encompass other low-wage sectors, such as home health care, retail outlets and hospitals.
Advertisement
Much of the attention in Thursday's rallies, in what some organizers called a national day of action, was on McDonald's Corp fast-food eateries, the world's biggest restaurant chain by revenue.
Demonstrators said they want to get to a $15 minimum in any they can, whether that happens at the state or city level or even via individual companies.
In New York City, demonstrators rallied in Times Square and later protested outside a Republican gala featuring the party's three candidates for the 2016 presidential race, while in Los Angeles protesters held aloft large balloons and marched behind a banner that read, "McJobs hurt us all."
Advertisement
Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke at the rally in Times Square, on a day that also saw Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders express support for the marchers.
On the West Coast, organizers said more than 2,000 people marched through downtown Los Angeles.
Anggie Godoy, 20, a cashier at a McDonald's in Los Angeles, said the campaign to raise wages must be national in scope.
"We know that it's not just New York and California struggling, but it's everyone in our nation," she said.
And even though California and New York have recently passed legislation to raise their state minimums to $15, protesters said those measures aren't enough because both states will take time to phase in the increases.
Advertisement
Similar demonstrations in dozens of other U.S. cities, including Chicago and Miami, drew thousands of workers to the streets, organizers said.
Protests were also held overseas, including at a McDonald's at Disneyland Paris and outside the headquarters for the South Korea division of the fast-food giant, organizers said.
Last year, McDonald's raised its employees' base pay at company-owned U.S. outlets by $1 over the locally mandated minimum wage. That measure does not affect the employees of the almost 90 percent of McDonald's restaurants run by franchisees.
McDonald's spokeswoman Lisa McComb also cited the company's participation in a program that helps employees earn a high school diploma and obtain tuition assistance for college.
Advertisement
Earlier this month, both California and New York enacted $15-an-hour minimum wage laws, going beyond the federally mandated $7.25-an-hour wage floor that has been in effect nationally since 2009.
Opponents have argued that raising the minimum wage puts an undue strain on businesses still struggling to rebound from a prolonged U.S. economic slump.
Supporters say such measures are necessary to help low-paid workers who have been slipping into poverty due to stagnant earnings and rising living expenses.
Kendall Fells, organizing director of "Fight for $15," said the movement combines a push to raise wages and unionize low-paid workers.
"Workers demand $15 and they want a union, they don't care how it happens," he said.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.