McDonald’s workers across the United States are expected to strike Wednesday, May 19, and demand the company raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Last week McDonald’s announced they are increasing pay to an average of $15 an hour by 2024 in their corporate stores, which comprises around 5% of all McDonald’s locations in the country.
A website backing the strike, Fight for $15, supported the strikes and said the fast-food company can afford the change.
“McDonald’s ‘raise’ is nothing more than a PR stunt,” the website says. “McDonald’s made $5 billion in corporate profits last year.
“They can afford to raise pay to $15/hr for every single employee, not just some employees at corporate-owned and operated stores.”
Workers were expected to walk off the job in Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Detroit, Kansas City, Houston, Milwaukee, and other cities.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders threw his support behind the campaign on Twitter, saying McDonald’s could afford the change.
If McDonald’s can afford to pay its CEO over $10 million in compensation and spend billions on stock buybacks to award its wealthy shareholders and executives, you know what? It can afford to pay all of its workers at least $15 an hour. I’m proud to support the workers on strike. pic.twitter.com/XodhxFksbc
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 19, 2021
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on her Twitter she would be joining Sanders Wednesday in a strike alongside workers.
See you there 😉 @fightfor15 https://t.co/UgtNgXM2cY
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 18, 2021
The strike comes just one day before the annual shareholder meeting.
The strike also occurred amid a labor shortage in fast-food restaurants.
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