(CNN) Sen. Bernie Sanders is inviting the corporate bosses of four major American companies to face their employees during a livestreamed town hall event in Washington on July 16.

"I really hope (the CEOs) have the guts to sit on a panel with their own employees and explain why it's acceptable that they receive huge compensation packages while their very own workers are struggling to put food on the table," Sanders said in an interview. "I hope they have the courage to do so. The invitation is sincere."

Letters addressed to Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Doug McMillon of Walmart, Steve Easterbrook of McDonald's and Disney's Bob Iger will be sent on Thursday.

"My staff and I have spoken with Disney workers who are hungry, homeless, or struggling to make ends meet," Sanders writes to Iger in one of the invites. He then quotes an employee who says, "I currently don't make enough to eat three times a day. I eat cans of tuna or celery sticks and carrots because that's what I can afford."

Each letter contains similar, often harrowing testimonials from employees woven in with admonitions from Sanders over the massive disparity between worker pay and executive compensation.

Read More