Local Fast Food Workers Join Nat'l Strike For Better Wages, Paid Sick Days
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hundreds of Minneapolis workers were on strike Tuesday, fighting for workers' rights.
Members of the CTUL Union as well as Black Lives Matter rallied inside Minneapolis City Hall, asking for a higher minimum wage, advanced scheduling and paid sick days.
The rally in Minneapolis was part of a bigger, national movement. It was one of many scheduled to happen in 270 cities across the country. The day of demonstrations was planned roughly one year out from Election Day 2016.
The workers started their strike outside a McDonald's in northeast Minneapolis before marching to the Macy's downtown.
Congressman Keith Ellison addressed the crowd.
"A movement to raise the wage, to have fair scheduling, to get rid of these wage thieves, and to get paid sick leave," Ellison said. "If we're going to do these things, we got to do it by pushing and never stopping."
The group is asking for a $15 minimum wage specifically. Cashiers, fast food workers, and janitors said they were fed up with current policies.
"The wages we have right now, it's not a sustainable wage for them to pay rent or their bills," said Mary Spaulding of Minneapolis.
Workers' rights have been a much-debated topic in Minneapolis in the last year.
Last month, the city council scrapped a Working Families Agenda plan that would have required advanced scheduling and more paid sick days.