CHICAGO (WLS) -- Fast-food workers protested outside McDonald's restaurants, shut down some streets and rallied at the Thompson Center on Tuesday in Chicago to push for a $15 minimum wage and union benefits.The gatherings are part of a nationwide movement that organized worker protests in 270 cities. Some are calling it the largest fast-food worker strike ever.By Tuesday evening, hundreds of people had gathered at the Thompson Center."It's important for us to be here," said Nancy Garcia, a fast-food worker. "We all have to be here, not just one. We all have to be here to support each other."Earlier in the day, protesters - which included cooks, cashiers and prep workers -- started the early morning at a Bucktown neighborhood McDonald's at Western and Armitage on the city's Northwest Side.The group walked on Milwaukee Avenue and aimed to disrupt traffic. In the late morning, demonstrators moved to a South Side McDonald's and plan to gather at another McDonald's in the afternoon."I can't think of any job that shouldn't start at $15 an hour, or more," said Solo Littlejohn, who works at Kentucky Fried Chicken. "Especially in this day and age in the city, in Illinois and the suburbs, with everything being so expensive."Fast-food workers have walked off the job dozens of times over the years to draw attention to their cause. Protesters said they are working-class people who deserve a better living wage, so they can stop relying on public assistance to make ends meet."It's important for us to be here," said Nancy Garcia, a fast-food worker. "We all have to be here, not just one. We all have to be here to support each other."In July, the minimum wage for Chicago workers jumped to $10 an hour in what the city said was the first wage increase for city workers since 2010. A city ordinance brings up the wage to $13 an hour by 2019.In a statement, McDonald's officials said they respect the group's right to protest and align their wages according to federal law and the market.