Thousands of workers in the airline, fast-food, home-care and federal industries have joined together to strike on Thursday in major cities across the US, in support of the campaign to get a $15 minimum wage.
Workers chanted things like “Low pay is not OK” outside fast-food restaurants, attracting support. Home care workers stood alongside fast-food workers marching outside McDonald’s locations as the groups unite to fight for higher wages.
Federal workers are striking in Washington DC, demanding that President Obama encourage federal buildings to set a $15 minimum wage, improve benefits and give them collective bargaining rights.
Contract workers from landmark buildings like the Capitol and the Pentagon, the Smithsonian museums and Union Station were set to take part in the protest. It was scheduled to be the 11th protest for these workers, who are operating under the group name of Good Jobs Nation.
Obama signed an executive order in February that raised federal contract workers’ wages to $10.10 an hour.
Thursday’s rallies were the first national action that airport workers were expected to join. About 40,000 airline employees from airports in cities including Philadelphia, Oakland and Minneapolis were also expected.
These workers said they have “pledged to stand together” with fast-food and home-care workers in a letter to the chief executives of American Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
“We are paid low wages that force us to choose between paying the rent and feeding our families,” reads the letter. “When that doesn’t work we must rely on second jobs or government assistance while we work full time for you.”
Hundreds of workers were arrested in September at nationwide fast-food protests that ramped up the now two-year-old campaign for a $15 minimum wage.
The strikes are backed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represent about two million workers in the US.
