In recent news fast food workers are still demanding that their pay be raised to $15 an hour. The fight for a wage increase for fast food workers continued on Tuesday morning November 10th; workers across the nation walked away from drive-thru lines and took to the streets in protest. In metro Detroit, several gathered in front of Southfield City Hall in hopes of getting officials to listen up during this election season.
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“When we cry out for elected officials to stand with us, here you have the city of Southfield’s mayor. Mayor Siver, standing with us saying, ‘You deserve $15 an hour and a union,’ and this is why we’re here today,” says Pastor W.J. Rideout, who helped organize the protest. “We’re going all over to let elected officials know that if you do not stand with the 54,000 workers, that we’re not going to stand with you at the polls.”
Good enough to say that the elected officials heard them loud and clearly; Mayor Elect of Southfield joined them on the front stoop of City Hall to show support.
“You can’t live on the current minimum wage. How can you support a family? I was a longtime school administrator and I had parents who were working two jobs. It impacts the whole family just to make ends meet,”
Siver says.
Sources say that minimum wage in Michigan is increasing in phases after lawmakers agreed to boost it. Right now, it’s at $8.15 an hour and by 2018 that will rise to $9.25 an hour. These workers want $15 an hour and union rights.
“We can’t live off minimum wage. It’s just not possible,” says fast food worker Tashara Carter. “A day at my job is me doing everything from running the drive-thru to washing dishes to prepping food, so it’s just a lot of work for one person to do, and I work the night shift.”
The protests begin right before the McDonalds at Greenfield and Plymouth in Detroit opened, The 80 workers were fired up to get the message across and they didn’t let the rain stop them either. The workers eventually returned back to work after the protest and if anyone is fired, they will tell FOX 2’s Roop Raj lawsuit will be pending.
Do you feel like minimum wage should be raised for these hard working fast food workers?
