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Fast food workers protest for higher wages
Fast food workers protest for higher wages
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee is one of seven cities across the country where fast food and retail workers are striking for $15-an-hour wages and the right to form a union.
This nationwide movement enticed Abagail Machak to walk off the job at McDonald's and join in on S. 76th St. in Greendale.
"I just hope that we can get the message out to like a lot of people and that they would all support us because this will really help every fast food and retail worker that's out there," said Machak.
Machak says she makes the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. She and other demonstrators say what they make is not a livable wage.
"I just got a bonus myself or a raise I should say myself at my job and it was three cents. And 3 cents, that's all?" said college student Ryan Lawson who works at McDonald's.
Lawson says he can barely survive off what he makes -- and wishes the fast food industry would share some of the wealth.
Organizers say many workers are forced into fast food and retail jobs because of a depletion of manufacturing jobs.
"60 percent of the jobs that have been created since the recession have been low wage jobs," said Mike Wilder, spokesperson for Raise Up Milwaukee. "And so these are the jobs that are being created. we have to make them good paying jobs and make it so people can sustain family's off these jobs."
We're told workers from 65 stores participated in Thursday's strikes.
FOX6 News reached out to McDonald's USA for comment on the protests. We were told to contact the National Restaurant Association. We did but haven't yet received a response.
A statement from the Wisconsin Restaurant Association says the following: "A 2007 industry survey showed that 77 percent of restaurants nationwide either raised prices or reduced employment levels after a minimum wage increase took effect, that year." The association also said "85 percent of minimum wage employees are students, young people without kids or the second or third wage earner in their family."