So, this issue seems to have fallen off the front page. I thought I would put another diary up for the West Coast/Hawaii/Guam crowd.
In case you missed it, there have been a series of strikes by fast food workers across the US today. Several labor organizations organized the strikes to raise the call for unions and a $15 per hour wage for fast food workers.
Before going any further, I will give credit to those who have already diaried on the subject here today:
What The Striking Fast Food Workers May Have To Contend With by Richard Lyon
Strike Fast Food, Fight For 15 by stopmotionsolo
Congresswoman Gwen Moore, 26 Others Arrested at Fast Food Protest in Milwaukee by Puddytat
Dozens Arrested Across the Country
In New York, 19 people were arrested on Thursday for blocking traffic, with at least three people wearing McDonald's uniforms taken away by police officers after standing in the middle of a busy street near Times Square.
About two dozen protesters were detained in Detroit after they wouldn't move out of a street near a McDonald's restaurant. Others were apprehended by police in Chicago, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami and Denver.
Police arrested 10 people after the protesters linked arms and sat down in front of a McDonald's in downtown Los Angeles. The sit-in capped a midday march through the urban core by hundreds of workers and their supporters.
In San Diego, 11 marchers were arrested for blocking an intersection in the blue-collar neighborhood of City Heights. Protesters were arrested in several other cities, including New
York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Detroit.
Predictable Opposition
"A $15 [per hour] entry-level wage would increase the cost of food probably by about 35 percent to 40 percent," says Scott DeFife of the National Restaurant Association.
In addition, some economists warn that fast food
chains will turn to more automation and self-
service options.
Why Should You Care?
Check this from NPR's "The Salt" which reports that 52 percent of fast-food workers are enrolled in, or have their families enrolled in, one or more public assistance programs such as SNAP (food stamps) Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The report puts the cost to US taxpayers at $7 billion.
"The combination of low wages, meager benefits and often part-time hours means that many of the families of fast-food workers have to rely on taxpayer-funded safety net programs to make ends meet."
-Ken Jacobs of the Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
Fast Food, National Restaurant Association and Right Wingers Agree That $15 an Hour is Untenable. Need I Say Any More to Make My Point That It Is Necessary?