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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Protest for fast-food wage hikes goes global with social media

Candice Choi Associated Press

NEW YORK – Labor organizers turned up the pressure on McDonald’s and other fast-food chains to raise worker pay on Thursday, with plans to stage actions in more than 30 countries.

The demonstrations build on a campaign by unions to bring attention to the plight of low-wage workers and get the public behind the idea of a $15-an-hour wage.

Industry groups say such pay hikes would hurt their ability to create jobs and note that many of the participants are not workers.

The protests are backed by the Service Employees International Union and began in New York City in late 2012.

Organizers say workers went on strike in 150 U.S. cities on Thursday, including 20 at a restaurant in St. Louis that had to temporarily close as a result. But turnouts have varied and the scope of actions planned for overseas also differed depending on the country.

In Denmark, McDonald’s worker Louise Marie Rantzau said a collective agreement with McDonald’s in the country prevents workers from protesting the chain. Rantzau, who earns about $21 an hour under the agreement, said she and others planned to demonstrate outside Burger King or other restaurants and post photos on social media.

Images on social media showed workers demonstrating in places including Dublin and Sao Paulo.

McDonald’s, which has more than 35,000 locations globally, said in a statement that the debate over wages needed to take into account “the highly competitive nature of the industries that employ minimum wage workers.”

The National Restaurant Association called the actions “nothing more than big labor’s attempt to push their own agenda.”