10 Arrested for protesting in Atlanta. Asking for $15 fast food wages. (2014, home)

[ehoez]

10 arrested during Atlanta fast food worker strike





Fast food workers shut down Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta for about 45 minutes Thursday when they took to the street to protest for higher wages.

A march began at Wendy's and made its way down the street to McDonald's. At least 10 protesters were arrested after refusing police requests to get off the street. 11Alive's Stacy Elgin learned those who were arrested were taken to the Fulton County Jail.

Police officials from Atlanta and Fulton County responded to the protest -- only one in a nationwide demand for higher wages for fast food workers.

Arrests that began early Thursday morning outside a landmark McDonald's in New York City spread later in the day to Detroit, Chicago and Las Vegas as thousands of emboldened fast-food workers coast to coast put down their burger flippers and picked up picket signs in a strike that included acts of civil disobedience as workers rally for $15 minimum wages.

Strikers began to gather in more than 100 cities early Thursday, affecting major chains from McDonald's to Wendy's to Burger King. Shortly after 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, police arrested 19 workers who sat down in the street — and refused to move — outside the bustling McDonald's at New York's Times Square, reports the New York City Police Department. Up to several dozen striking fast-food workers were placed in handcuffs and arrested in Detroit, as well.

For workers, it's about pushing the major fast-food companies to meet their demands for $15-an-hour minimum wages and and the right to form a union without retaliation. For the fast food giants, it's about trying to keep costs — including labor costs — under control in a highly competitive market.

"There has to be civil disobedience because workers don't see any other way to get $15 an hour and a union," says Kendall Fells, organizing director of the organizing group Fast Food Forward, which is financially backed by the Service Employees International Union. "There's a long history of this, from the civil rights movement to the farm workers movement."

[westau]

They should have been arrested much quicker than 45 minutes of blocking a road. Peaceful protests are fine, but sitting in the road is stupid and will only make people less likely to agree with your position.

[netdragon]

They wanted to get arrested. If you schedule these things in advance, the city will redirect traffic. We did that for a Georgia Bikes rally for more bicycle trails right in front of the capital once.

Anyway, I agree with a $15 minimum wage. This is a union thing, but it should also be handled nationally. Starting at $10 like some states do, then with a 5-year catch-up to $15 to avoid raising wages too quickly and causing more inflation or hurting companies too much (even if few pay minimum wage, other salaries - especially union salaries - will go up in relation). Then it should be indexed for inflation from that point on. The federal minimum wage hasn't kept up with inflation for the last 50 years. The state of low-wage workers has been that they can't really afford daily expenses if they have a family, especially if they don't live in rural areas.

[ehoez]

$15 ????????? u serious?

[jeoff]

If it were possible, I think it might make more sense to find a way for the government to subsidize low wages, instead of institute a minimum wage increase. While the costs would be about the same, it would be less likely to kill low wage jobs, and might make American businesses better able to compete with lower wage countries without having our workers take home pay decrease. (Yes, it would make taxes go up, but the consumer also pays for a minimum wage increase paid by employers, and at least this could lead to more people working).

[famlife]

I don't know... I think that if they want a living wage, they should advance their career. Maybe I'm alone in this. I seem to represent unpopular opinion lately.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by jeoff

If it were possible, I think it might make more sense to find a way for the government to subsidize low wages, instead of institute a minimum wage increase.

Uncle Sam already does via Peachcare, food stamps and various other things.

[joey86]

Originally Posted by famlife

I don't know... I think that if they want a living wage, they should advance their career. Maybe I'm alone in this. I seem to represent unpopular opinion lately.

Well, it is very easy to get a better job. Servers, valets, delivery drivers, etcetera can pull fifteen an hour. I made that in the worst of the recession delivering Chinese. I just borrowed a decent shirt and showed up.

"But some people don't have a decent shirt, a car,
a decent attitude or a brain and insist on getting paid twice what they earn."

Coupled with not wanting an extra large heart attack, those are great reasons not to support McDonald's.

[joey86]

I'm broke but I have enough of a backbone to cook my own beans and greens and enjoy it. No free pork for me.

[aslowdodge]

When I grew up none of those types of jobs were ever meant to pay a living wage. They were filled by part timers-often students. When they went away to school or graduated they were replaced by other teens. The fact that some can live on minimum wage makes me wonder if they are paid too much?
If you pay unskilled people $15 per hour form their $10 and someone with a skill stays at $20, what's the incentive to better yourself to get to $20? Nearly all the fast food workers I see in my area are all adults-many hispanics, very few teens, but maybe it's different in other parts of the country.