"We're up before the sun to say, we're not going to take it any more," declared the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which rallied workers outside of a Burger King. (Photo: Stand Up KC/Twitter)
'Can't Survive on $7.25': On Labor Day, Nationwide Calls for $15 Minimum Wage
"Rampant racism. Wage cuts. Attacks on unions. It's time to fight back."
Marches are taking place in hundreds of cities throughout the United States on Monday to celebrate the achievements of organized labor, call attention to President Donald Trump's war on workers, and demand a living wage and a union.
| #FightFor15 Tweets |
"Rampant racism. Wage cuts. Attacks on unions. It's time to fight back," declared Fight for $15 ahead of Labor Day.
Workers in America's major cities are doing just that.
Fast-food workers in Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Chicago are walking off the job to call attention to the industry's starvation wages. Hoisting signs that read "Can't Survive on $7.25" and chanting "This is what democracy looks like," thousands took to the streets early Monday morning to demand economic justice.
"We're up before the sun to say, we're not going to take it any more," said the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which rallied workers outside of a local Burger King.
Pointing to the Missouri GOP's success in capping the statewide minimum wage at $7.70--which had the effect of overturning wage increases in St. Louis and Kansas City--Bettie Douglas, a mother of two who has worked at McDonald's for a decade, wrote Monday: "What corporations and politicians are doing to me and other working people in St. Louis is obscene. But we refuse to take it lying down."
"Instead, we are taking to the streets--and we will be louder than ever," Douglas continued. "Today--Labor Day--you'll be able to see us out on the strike lines in St. Louis and hundreds of cities across the country demanding $15 an hour and union rights."
Antwan Williams, a McDonald's worker and Fight for $15 organizer, wrote in an email to supporters that the national Fight for $15 is teaming up with unions throughout the country and placing its energy, resources, and power into defeating politicians who use "their power to help corporations and billionaires at the expense of the rest of us."
"Thousands of people are rallying today to kick off this fight," Williams concluded. "We can stop them."
Here is a glimpse at some of the rallies and marches currently ongoing across the U.S.
North Carolina
"McDonald's, you're no good, pay your workers like you should!"
Florida
Des Moines, Iowa
Richmond, Virginia
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. Louis, Missouri
Hartford, Connecticut
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will 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. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Marches are taking place in hundreds of cities throughout the United States on Monday to celebrate the achievements of organized labor, call attention to President Donald Trump's war on workers, and demand a living wage and a union.
| #FightFor15 Tweets |
"Rampant racism. Wage cuts. Attacks on unions. It's time to fight back," declared Fight for $15 ahead of Labor Day.
Workers in America's major cities are doing just that.
Fast-food workers in Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Chicago are walking off the job to call attention to the industry's starvation wages. Hoisting signs that read "Can't Survive on $7.25" and chanting "This is what democracy looks like," thousands took to the streets early Monday morning to demand economic justice.
"We're up before the sun to say, we're not going to take it any more," said the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which rallied workers outside of a local Burger King.
Pointing to the Missouri GOP's success in capping the statewide minimum wage at $7.70--which had the effect of overturning wage increases in St. Louis and Kansas City--Bettie Douglas, a mother of two who has worked at McDonald's for a decade, wrote Monday: "What corporations and politicians are doing to me and other working people in St. Louis is obscene. But we refuse to take it lying down."
"Instead, we are taking to the streets--and we will be louder than ever," Douglas continued. "Today--Labor Day--you'll be able to see us out on the strike lines in St. Louis and hundreds of cities across the country demanding $15 an hour and union rights."
Antwan Williams, a McDonald's worker and Fight for $15 organizer, wrote in an email to supporters that the national Fight for $15 is teaming up with unions throughout the country and placing its energy, resources, and power into defeating politicians who use "their power to help corporations and billionaires at the expense of the rest of us."
"Thousands of people are rallying today to kick off this fight," Williams concluded. "We can stop them."
Here is a glimpse at some of the rallies and marches currently ongoing across the U.S.
North Carolina
"McDonald's, you're no good, pay your workers like you should!"
Florida
Des Moines, Iowa
Richmond, Virginia
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. Louis, Missouri
Hartford, Connecticut
Marches are taking place in hundreds of cities throughout the United States on Monday to celebrate the achievements of organized labor, call attention to President Donald Trump's war on workers, and demand a living wage and a union.
| #FightFor15 Tweets |
"Rampant racism. Wage cuts. Attacks on unions. It's time to fight back," declared Fight for $15 ahead of Labor Day.
Workers in America's major cities are doing just that.
Fast-food workers in Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Chicago are walking off the job to call attention to the industry's starvation wages. Hoisting signs that read "Can't Survive on $7.25" and chanting "This is what democracy looks like," thousands took to the streets early Monday morning to demand economic justice.
"We're up before the sun to say, we're not going to take it any more," said the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which rallied workers outside of a local Burger King.
Pointing to the Missouri GOP's success in capping the statewide minimum wage at $7.70--which had the effect of overturning wage increases in St. Louis and Kansas City--Bettie Douglas, a mother of two who has worked at McDonald's for a decade, wrote Monday: "What corporations and politicians are doing to me and other working people in St. Louis is obscene. But we refuse to take it lying down."
"Instead, we are taking to the streets--and we will be louder than ever," Douglas continued. "Today--Labor Day--you'll be able to see us out on the strike lines in St. Louis and hundreds of cities across the country demanding $15 an hour and union rights."
Antwan Williams, a McDonald's worker and Fight for $15 organizer, wrote in an email to supporters that the national Fight for $15 is teaming up with unions throughout the country and placing its energy, resources, and power into defeating politicians who use "their power to help corporations and billionaires at the expense of the rest of us."
"Thousands of people are rallying today to kick off this fight," Williams concluded. "We can stop them."
Here is a glimpse at some of the rallies and marches currently ongoing across the U.S.
North Carolina
"McDonald's, you're no good, pay your workers like you should!"