We're lovin' burger strike

Fast food workers across New York struck on Thursday of last week, demanding a pay rise and the right to join unions.

The walkout involved workers at Wendy’s, McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s, Burger King, among others. It proves that fast food workers are far from impossible to organise.

Michael, an 18 year old striker from Burger King, said, “We’re out here for better wages, better working conditions and union protection. We got bills, we got rent. We can’t live on this.”

Fast food workers find it impossible to make ends meet on their paltry minimum wage of £4.50 an hour. But Michael added that the strike was about more than its demands. “We work as if we were slaves,” he said. “We deserve respect.”

Many rely on food stamps but it’s still not enough to get by. Other strikers said their pay cheques often bounced. But the US fast food industry’s profits are soaring. McDonald’s profits have shot up by 130 percent over the past four years.