Chicago Fast Food, Retail Workers Go On Strike For Higher Wages

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 24, 2013 2:45PM



Photo credit: Ryan L. Williams

Hundreds of retail and fast food workers went on a coordinated strike this morning to call for a living wage of $15 an hour and the right to unionize without interference.

This is the latest action taken by employees of fast food and retail stores. They took to the streets last November in their calls for a higher minimum wage. Twenty-one people were arrested last December in a another rally. The Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago claim a raise in these workers hourly wage to $15 would allow them to move into better neighborhoods, send their children to better schools and join the ranks of the middle class. The higher wages would also allow them to contribute to the economy by spending more.

Low-wage jobs in the retail and fast food sectors have accounted for the majority of the jobs added in the country's modest economic recovery. Today's actions in the Loop and on the Magnificent Mile come weeks after workers in New York City walked off their jobs for a higher wage.

We've created a Storify to follow the developments of today's strike, which you can follow below. The strike locations are:

McDonald’s, 225 S. Canal St. (Union Station), Strike Line

McDonald’s, 10 E. Chicago Ave., Strike Line

Dunkin’ Donuts, 27 W. Lake St., Strike Line

Subway, 37 S. LaSalle St., Strike Line

Sears and Land’s End, 2 N. State St., Strike Line

Macy’s, 111 N. State St., Strike Line and March

A rally has been scheduled for later today.