Fast food workers strike for higher wages

Published May 15, 2014 1:12pm ET



USA TODAY — Hundreds of fast food workers walked off their jobs in dozens of U.S. cities on Thursday — reportedly forcing at least a few locations to temporarily close or re-staff while mostly managers filled-in — as sympathetic protesters in several dozen countries joined in a united call for wages of $15 an hour and the right to form a union.

No violence was reported early Thursday. Restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and KFC are being targeted. The strike, targeting the $200 billion fast-food industry at a time of intense competition, is aimed at directing consumer attention to the low wages of most fast-food workers. The one-day campaign continues protests launched 18 months ago.

Strikers claim that managers opted to close down a Burger King in Dorchester, Mass, where a half dozen workers were striking, but Burger King officials could not immediately confirm that. “During this time, customer service and quality will remain a top priority in Burger King restaurants,” company spokesman Alix Salyers said, in a statement. While McDonald’s officials insist that no McDonald’s restaurants have been closed due to the strike, protesters insist that several have.

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