Thousands of workers around the country are putting pressure on the fast-food industry to raise their wages by holding one-day strikes. The fast-food workers are pushing for a pay hike to $15 an hour—more than double what they’re making now. They say it’s impossible to survive on the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
The Service Employees International Union is standing behind the workers’ demands. “We support the workers demand for $15 an hour and want to hear from the most profitable multinational companies in the world, why not?” said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry on Jansing & Co Monday. With union membership down to a low of just 11% of the workforce, critics argue that organized labor is only hoping to unionize fast-food workers and increase their membership. “This is not about growing unions,” Henry said to Chris Jansing, ‘It’s about the nation respecting the value of work again and helping workers come together and restore their ability to bargain with employers.”
Watch the full interview with SEIU President Mary Kay Henry:
Essa Yip