Hundreds of Southland fast-food workers, along with home-care, child-care and industrial workers, took part in marches and rallies in South Los Angeles and downtown Wednesday as part of a national campaign calling for $15-an-hour wages.
The workers rallied early Wednesday morning outside a McDonald’s restaurant at 2838 Crenshaw Blvd., before taking to the streets. They plan to rally outside another McDonald’s later this morning.
A rally was also held outside the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration.
Similar marches and rallies are being held across the country as part of a National Day of Action in the “Fight for $15.” Organizers said rallies were also being held in 30 countries.
The marches were planned on tax day, because organizers said the workers get paid so little that many must rely on taxpayer-funded public-assistance programs to make ends meet.
Fast-food workers have been rallying every few months for the past year to call for higher wages.
Two weeks ago, McDonald’s President/CEO Steve Easterbrook announced that beginning July 1, workers at company-owned restaurants would be paid $1 an hour above the prevailing minimum wage where the eatery is located. He also said workers would be able to accrue paid time off.
That announcement, however, did little to appease protesting workers, who noted that the increase applied only to workers at company-owned restaurants, while the majority of McDonald’s eateries are franchises that are privately owned. McDonald’s officials said only 10 percent of its restaurants are company owned, and the wage increase would affect about 90,000 employees.
The Los Angeles City Council is considering a proposal to raise the minimum wage in the city to $13.25 an hour by 2017, and potentially to $15.25 by 2019.
— City News Service