Fast Food Employees Hold Minimum Wage Strike; Verizon Workers Join On NYC Picket Line
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Fast food workers are holding strikes across the nation today, calling to raise minimum wages to $15 an hour across the country.
The strikes comes after minimum wage-hike victories in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In New York City, fast food workers marched up 46th Street and 7th Avenue Thursday morning in support of the cause.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved a plan to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 for workers at large fast-food chain restaurants in the state in 2015. Earlier this month, Cuomo signed a bill that will gradually raise the state's minimum wage to $15 and also establish paid family leave for New York workers.
The law gradually raises the minimum wage to $15 in New York City by the end of 2018. On Long Island and in Westchester County, the wage would rise to $15 by the end of 2021.
The minimum wage would only rise to $12.50 in the rest of the state by 2020, with further increases tied to inflation and other economic indicators.
The fast food workers in New York City were joined by many Verizon workers, who are also currently on strike over a contract dispute concerning healthcare and job security.
According to the unions, Verizon wants to freeze pensions, hire more contract workers and be allowed to transfer employees to other states for up to two months. A Verizon spokesperson said union leaders have an outdated agenda and are ignoring changes in technology.
Tens of thousands of Verizon landline and cable workers on the East Coast walked off the job Wednesday after working without a contract since August.
More protests are planned in the city throughout the day, including a crosstown march during rush hour and a rally outside a GOP fundraiser in Midtown.
Because of the planned demonstrations, Metro-North said riders should expect crowded conditions and street closures around Grand Central starting at 5 p.m.
It advises customers to use the North End Access to the terminal at either the 47th Street and Madison or 48th Street and Park entrances.
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