Workers at dozens of fast-food restaurants in New York City walked off the job Thursday morning. Organizers say New Yorkers will see hundreds of workers on strike at some of the largest fast food chains including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Domino’s, Taco Bell and other fast-food restaurants across the city.
The workers’ campaign is Fast Food Forward. They’re coming together to fight for $15 / hour and the right to form a union. The campaign’s goal is to put money back in the pockets of the 50,000 men and women who work hard in the city’s fast food industry – but still can’t afford basic necessities like food, clothing, and rent.
The workers coming together is a major act of courage because among them are some who have already faced retaliation for organizing today’s strike.
Jose Cerillo, a 79-year-old man who’s been cleaning floors at McDonald’s since 1996 was fired recently for organizing workers to support Fast Food Forward. After 16 years of working there he was making $7.40 an hour, 15 cents above minimum wage, Salon.com reports.
You can support the workers by signing the campaign’s petition at Fastfoodforward.org.
Also, If you’re in New York you can support the workers by visiting one of the picket sites listed at the end of this story.
The organizing drive is backed by community organizing groups like New York Communities for Change as well as the SEIU. New York Communities for Change organizing director Jonathan Westin told Salon the current effort is "the biggest organizing campaign that’s happened in the fast food industry."
The main strike sites and picket times are listed below:
McDonalds- 280 Madison avenue @40th street-6am (media location 6:30am)
Yum and Burger King-Penn Station-Midtown- 11am-1pm (Media location noon) Gather at BK on 34th between 7th and 8th.
Wendy’s- 425 Fulton St. Wendy’s-Brooklyn-11am -1pm (Media location noon)
McDonalds- 220 West 42nd Street- Times Square- 4pm-6pm (Rally/ media location 5pm)
additional picket locations & times
1) Harlem-McDonalds- 145 east 125 street 11am-1pm
2) Harlem- McDonalds- 2142 3rd Ave 10-noon
3) Brooklyn-KFC- 495 Nostrand Ave noon-1pm
4) Brooklyn KFC-798 4th Ave # 812 11a-noon
5) Time Square- McDonalds 1188 Avenue Of The Americas 7am-9:30am