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Fast food workers embarked on their largest ever strike worldwide today to bring attention to their low-wage plight. The strike is taking place in 230 cities, 33 countries and across all six inhabited continents.
Rather than raise wages for its workers (most of whom make minimum wage, or $7.25 an hour, which amounts to sub-poverty level $15,080 a year for full-time work), McDonalds announced they would relaunch Ronald McDonald. Now he will wear cargo pants and tweet.
“They need to re-re-launch Ronald McDonald,” said Erica Payne, President of The Agenda Project Action Fund. “Instead of cargo pants, give him a conscience.” Payne added, “The CEO of McDonald’s makes $9,247 an hour while the people who actually cook the food and serve the customers live in poverty. We need to stop the Greedy Clown before he destroys the country.”
• A few background facts from the Agenda Project Action Fund.
• Fast food CEO’s make 1,200 times more than their employees
• The average minimum wage worker is 35 years old, most are women, and 28% have children
• 70% of Americans support raising the minimum wage
• There are 830 McDonald’s in Australia
• Australia’s minimum wage is $16 an hour
• 50% of fast food workers are on public assistance
• Even Bill O’Reilly supports raising the minimum wage
• Last year taxpayers gave $7 billion in public assistance to fast food workers