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Massive March on McDonald's Takes On "Donald Trump of Corporations"
The Fight for $15 and Trump resistance movement are teaming up "for a world where working for one of the richest corporations means you'll never wind up homeless"
May 23, 2017
Thousands are planning to march on McDonald's in Chicago on Tuesday evening, demanding $15 an hour and union rights from the fast food giant they've dubbed "the Donald Trump of corporations."
| #FightFor15 Tweets |
As Common Dreams reported, the march from Chicago's Trump Tower to the city's Rock N' Roll McDonald's joins two mass movements: the one opposed to the corporate-friendly Trump administration, and the one that's been scoring victories for low-wage workers nationwide since its inception in 2012.
"Like Trump, McDonald's faces widespread charges of stealing from workers' paychecks, sexually harassing women, ripping off taxpayers, and firing people for speaking out," organizers said in a press statement. This week, they continued, "[w]orkers and leaders from across the progressive movement will stress that resistance to Trump's agenda must include resistance to companies like McDonald's that are 'the Donald Trump of corporations'."
As Missouri McDonald's cashier Kenya Banks, who rode a bus eight hours to take part in Tuesday's protest, wrote at Civil Eats: "[A]s I march on McDonald's, it won't just be for me. It will be for all the Americans who dream of a world where everyone from CEOs to President Trump give workers a fair shot. It will be for a world where the economy isn't rigged to only benefit the rich. It will be for a world where working for one of the richest corporations means you'll never wind up homeless."
Tuesday's demonstration will be followed Wednesday morning by a rally and protest outside the McDonald's shareholder meeting in Oak Brook, Illinois. Solidarity events are also taking place across the country on Wednesday.
Earlier Tuesday, fast food workers and community members gathered in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood for a mock groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of McDonald's new headquarters. Sharing their vision for what a "new" McDonald's would look like, they staked signs into the ground that read, "Pays $15," "Says No to Sexual Harassment," and "Pays Its Taxes."
"We need a McDonald's that pays us a living wage," said Ashley Bruce, a Fight for $15 leader and McDonald's worker of 4 years. "We need $15 an hour to sustain our families. We can't keep trying to make ends meet like this. This is not working for us. We deserve to live. We're barely making it on $10.50 an hour."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Thousands are planning to march on McDonald's in Chicago on Tuesday evening, demanding $15 an hour and union rights from the fast food giant they've dubbed "the Donald Trump of corporations."
| #FightFor15 Tweets |
As Common Dreams reported, the march from Chicago's Trump Tower to the city's Rock N' Roll McDonald's joins two mass movements: the one opposed to the corporate-friendly Trump administration, and the one that's been scoring victories for low-wage workers nationwide since its inception in 2012.
"Like Trump, McDonald's faces widespread charges of stealing from workers' paychecks, sexually harassing women, ripping off taxpayers, and firing people for speaking out," organizers said in a press statement. This week, they continued, "[w]orkers and leaders from across the progressive movement will stress that resistance to Trump's agenda must include resistance to companies like McDonald's that are 'the Donald Trump of corporations'."
As Missouri McDonald's cashier Kenya Banks, who rode a bus eight hours to take part in Tuesday's protest, wrote at Civil Eats: "[A]s I march on McDonald's, it won't just be for me. It will be for all the Americans who dream of a world where everyone from CEOs to President Trump give workers a fair shot. It will be for a world where the economy isn't rigged to only benefit the rich. It will be for a world where working for one of the richest corporations means you'll never wind up homeless."
Tuesday's demonstration will be followed Wednesday morning by a rally and protest outside the McDonald's shareholder meeting in Oak Brook, Illinois. Solidarity events are also taking place across the country on Wednesday.
Earlier Tuesday, fast food workers and community members gathered in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood for a mock groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of McDonald's new headquarters. Sharing their vision for what a "new" McDonald's would look like, they staked signs into the ground that read, "Pays $15," "Says No to Sexual Harassment," and "Pays Its Taxes."
"We need a McDonald's that pays us a living wage," said Ashley Bruce, a Fight for $15 leader and McDonald's worker of 4 years. "We need $15 an hour to sustain our families. We can't keep trying to make ends meet like this. This is not working for us. We deserve to live. We're barely making it on $10.50 an hour."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Thousands are planning to march on McDonald's in Chicago on Tuesday evening, demanding $15 an hour and union rights from the fast food giant they've dubbed "the Donald Trump of corporations."
| #FightFor15 Tweets |
As Common Dreams reported, the march from Chicago's Trump Tower to the city's Rock N' Roll McDonald's joins two mass movements: the one opposed to the corporate-friendly Trump administration, and the one that's been scoring victories for low-wage workers nationwide since its inception in 2012.
"Like Trump, McDonald's faces widespread charges of stealing from workers' paychecks, sexually harassing women, ripping off taxpayers, and firing people for speaking out," organizers said in a press statement. This week, they continued, "[w]orkers and leaders from across the progressive movement will stress that resistance to Trump's agenda must include resistance to companies like McDonald's that are 'the Donald Trump of corporations'."
As Missouri McDonald's cashier Kenya Banks, who rode a bus eight hours to take part in Tuesday's protest, wrote at Civil Eats: "[A]s I march on McDonald's, it won't just be for me. It will be for all the Americans who dream of a world where everyone from CEOs to President Trump give workers a fair shot. It will be for a world where the economy isn't rigged to only benefit the rich. It will be for a world where working for one of the richest corporations means you'll never wind up homeless."
Tuesday's demonstration will be followed Wednesday morning by a rally and protest outside the McDonald's shareholder meeting in Oak Brook, Illinois. Solidarity events are also taking place across the country on Wednesday.
Earlier Tuesday, fast food workers and community members gathered in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood for a mock groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of McDonald's new headquarters. Sharing their vision for what a "new" McDonald's would look like, they staked signs into the ground that read, "Pays $15," "Says No to Sexual Harassment," and "Pays Its Taxes."
"We need a McDonald's that pays us a living wage," said Ashley Bruce, a Fight for $15 leader and McDonald's worker of 4 years. "We need $15 an hour to sustain our families. We can't keep trying to make ends meet like this. This is not working for us. We deserve to live. We're barely making it on $10.50 an hour."
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