Workers in Philly today are taking part in what’s being called “the largest-ever strike” to hit the fast food industry.
Fast food cooks and cashiers at McDonalds, Wendy’s and more will walk out on their jobs in 500 cities across the country today while advocating for a nationwide $15 minimum wage. Here in Philly, those workers and others will converge on City Hall for an afternoon rally at 3:30 p.m. when state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Philadelphia, and U.S. Senate candidate Katie McGinty are expected to speak.
Mayor-elect Jim Kenney will also address the Fight For 15 protests and the National Day of Action when he appears at 4:30 p.m. on 900AM-WURD, according to his public schedule.
In addition to fast food workers, airport, home care, nursing home, security and other “underpaid workers” will join them in the Fight for 15. There’s also expected to be a union presence, as several local unions including the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers have indicated they’ll protest in solidarity.
While city contractors in Philadelphia make a $12 per hour minimum wage, some officials have said that’s still not enough and it should be raised for all workers to $15 an hour. In Pennsylvania and across the nation, the mandatory minimum wage remains $7.25 an hour.
Philly’s fast-food workers are surrounding McD! We’re on strike! #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/hG3uILkZCX
— Fight For 15 PA (@FightFor15PA) November 10, 2015
chanting, singing & dancing through the drive-thru this morning. We work, we sweat, put 15 on our check! #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/3NkqtjPvVS
— Fight For 15 PA (@FightFor15PA) November 10, 2015
Also this week: Hundreds of college and high school students from across Philadelphia are expected to take part in what’s been dubbed nationwide as The Million Student March, an effort in more than 100 cities in which students are making demands of the government from a $15 minimum wage for campus workers to student loan forgiveness and free tuition.
According to organizers, students from Temple, Penn, Drexel, the Community College of Philadelphia and a number of local high schools will take part in events on their campuses and then march to City Hall on Thursday. Here’s the schedule for the events:
3 p.m.: Temple Rally Bell Tower and march down Broad Street to City Hall
2 p.m.: Penn Rally at Perelman Quadrangle
2:30 p.m.: Drexel Rally at Mario the Dragon
4:30 p.m.: Arrival at City Hall for Joint Action (with Penn, Drexel, Temple, CCP, high schools)
The first-ever Million Student March taking place across the country is aiming to fight back against rising tuition costs and skyrocketing student debt while bringing attention to the fact that the minimum wage has remained largely stagnant as these costs increase.
