New York fast-food workers will join their counterparts in 270 cities in a nationwide strike later this month as part of an effort to fight for a higher minimum wage across the country, organizers said on Thursday.
The hope for the Nov. 10 walkout is to raise awareness among politicians regarding the issues underpaid workers face, during the run-up to the presidential elections, they said.
“The big chains make us feel degraded; there’s no respect. You feel low,” said Jorel Ware, 34, a McDonald’s employee who said he is forced to collect government aid. “They make you feel like you have nothing. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
In September, New York State passed a bill to gradually raise minimum wage for fast-food workers to $15 per hour. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has said that he wants to raise the minimum to $15 per hour for all New York state employees.
The current minimum wage in the state is $8.75 and will rise to $9 at the end of this year.
Workers in fast-food, home care, child care, maintenance, and security guards and adjunct professors are expected to participate in next week’s strike.
A location for the event had not yet been announced on Thursday.
