Photo by @realmattpainter

In another sign of the industrial unrest that has swept the US over the past couple of years, hundreds of workers at dozens of McDonalds, Burger Kings, KFCs, and Taco Bells staged their first ever walk-out today. The walk out was to demand decent wages and the right to form a union without interference.

This follows recent strikes and protests at Walmart stores in 100 cities, and a wave of industrial action that has taken in everyone from Chicago teachers to New York utility workers. However, the actions at Walmart and the fast food chains show that precarious workers are increasingly getting organised.

New Yorkers saw workers on strike at some of the largest fast food chains today, as hundreds of workers at dozens of McDonalds, Taco Bells, KFCs, and Burger Kings across the city planned the first ever fast food walk-out to call for decent wages to support their families, and the right to form a union without interference.

The Fast Food Forward Campaign aims to get New York’s economy moving again by fighting for a living wage.

The 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 – to help get New York’s economy moving again.

Fast food is a $200 billion per year industry, yet many fast food workers earn minimum wage and are forced to rely on public assistance programmes to provide for their families and get healthcare for their children.

They’re coming together to fight for $15 / hour and the right to form a union so they can support their families, and put money back into the economy, instead of relying on taxpayers to shoulder the burden for the fast food industry’s low-wages.