Fast Food Strike Wave Spreads to Detroit

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The Nation

Josh Eidelson

Hundreds of Detroit fast food workers plan to walk off the job beginning at 6 AM today, making the motor city the fourth in five weeks to see such strikes. Organizers expect participants from at least 60 stores, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, Little Caesar’s, and Popeye’s locations. Like this week’s strike in St. Louis, and last month’s in New York and Chicago, today’s work stoppage is backed by a local coalition including the Service Employees International Union, and the participants are demanding a raise to $15 an hour and the chance to form a union without intimidation.

Organizers say that over a hundred workers joined the St. Louis strike between Wednesday and Thursday. That included a group of Jimmy John’s workers who alleged that management humiliated them by requiring them to hold up signs in public with messages including “I made 3 wrong sandwiches today” and “I was more than 13 seconds in the drive thru.” “Sometimes I walk for more than an hour just to save my train fare so I can spend it on Ramen noodles,” St. Louis Chipotle worker Patrick Leeper said in an e-mailed statement Thursday. “I can’t even think about groceries.”

A spokesperson for Jimmy John’s declined to comment on Thursday’s strike; McDonald’s and Wendy’s did not respond to inquiries last night.

As I’ve written elsewhere, the fate of the fast food strike wave carries far-reaching implications: Fast food jobs are a growing portion of our economy, and fast food-like conditions are proliferating in other sectors as well. Organizers say the fast food industry now employs twice as many Detroit-area workers as the city’s iconic auto industry. These strikes also come at a moment of existential crisis for the labor movement, a sobering reality that was brought into sharp relief in December when Michigan, arguably the birthplace of modern US private sector unionism, became the country’s latest “Right to Work” state.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blog/174270/fast-food-strike-wave-spreads-detroit#

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Stay tuned for more.

[Kingofalldems]

1. K and R for the workers

[marmar]

2. Awesome......The spirit of Occupy continues to morph and evolve.

[dotymed]

3. I am so glad to see some real Americans

organizing and expecting to earn a decent wage. A wage that is currently usurped by the oligarchs who do not need it.
Since it has become apparent that Obama is owned by a wealthy patron whom he recently appointed as secretary of commerce it is so important to unite and demand a living wage.
Sadly, I have never before seen Unions failing at the current rate, even under the worst repub. administrations. We have to claim our rights, we are not chattel.

[navarth]

4. Kick for workers in The D. SOLIDARITY! nt

[hedgehog]

5. I don't watch TV news - is this getting any coverage?

[Eleanors38]

10. Not nationally. I tried to follow the similar strike in

Chicago almost 2 wks ago. Google had some postings, all with "6 days ago" preceding.

Strikes don't bleed & lead. Yet.

[Plucketeer]

6. What's REALLY needed

Is a NATIONWIDE general "walkout". A walkout of all but the likes of nurses and power grid operators. THAT would afford some leverage. After all - all we need is a bit more money to buy the cheap stuffs we're getting from China.

[on point]

8. ^^^ 1000+ - General Strike to wake up the corporations their politicians, including the dems

[srican69]

7. I hope it spreads across the country ...

[joanbarnes]

9. I have avoided Fast Food for years, for these and also health reasons.

[Duer 157099]

11. Makes Ford's notion seem quaint, that workers should be able to afford a car

Today's version is that fast-food workers should be able to make enough money to afford to eat at the places they work. Sad, sad, how far we've fallen. And have yet to fall, apparently.

[FrodosPet]

12. Agriculture and food production and distribution should be nationalized

Food is a necessary component of life. Because of this, and because of the fact that so many people in the industry are underpaid and poorly treated, by socializing the industries, and making the workers federal employees, several things can be accomplished:

- Living wages and adequate benefits
- Garbage food can be taken off the market, leaving only healthy foods
- Crops can be scientifically planned and aligned with the nutritional needs of the nation, as opposed to "I will grow this because it makes more money".
- Prices can be controlled to ensure access by the poor