Fast-food-worker movement coming to Philly
By Will Bunch, Philadelphia Daily News | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
It just hasn't been nearly enough -- so he scrounges for whatever else he can.
Caldwell, 35, started a neighborhood lawn-mowing business and takes other odd jobs, such as cleaning out garages, but when he did his 2013 taxes he still saw that he'd made only
This December, Caldwell saw a cable-TV news report about workers from
This week, Caldwell gets his wish. For the past month, scores of fast-food workers and labor organizers have been working behind the scenes to finally bring the national fast-food-workers movement -- which seeks a raise to
Leaders of the Fast Food Forward movement -- part of a broad coalition of labor and community groups that has staged one-day strikes and pickets in about 200 cities -- now hope to place
'One shot in history'
"This is their one shot in history to ultimately change the conditions they live and work in," said
The launch of a fast-food-workers movement in
Earlier this year,
The push comes amid growing evidence that fast-food jobs -- once meant to be a stepping-stone for teens and others entering the labor market -- have become the primary source of income for a growing number of adults, many of them raising a family. What's more, researchers say that U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for food stamps,
A study last year by researchers at the
'Not counting
But a lobbyist for the restaurant industry in
"They're not counting hundred-dollar bills in some back room," said
Bova also said that Fast Food Forward and allied groups were gaming the country's labor rules by essentially organizing workers but not in the guise of a union, which would trigger certain labor-law restrictions.
"Businesses are playing by the rules, and these organizations aren't," she said. In
CEO's salary tripled
Advocates for the fast-food workers say that multiple studies have shown that a higher minimum wage -- compared with a neighboring jurisdiction -- does not lead to job losses, that the impact on the price of menu staples like a hamburger would be negligible and that workers deserve a break today, just like new
"With
Richardson, 22, a graduate of
Living with a sister nearby and eager to begin classes this fall at the
Both she and Caldwell agree that working in a fast-food restaurant is fast-paced, hectic, on-your-feet labor, but their main complaint -- in addition to low wages -- is the unpredictability of their work schedules. They frequently get scheduled for 30 hours a week or less, or lose hours by being sent home early on slow days -- and they worry that if they call out sick their hours might get reduced.
Not surprisingly, there are complicating factors. Caldwell, a graduate of
"I'm always robbing Peter to pay Paul," said Caldwell -- but he, Richardson and other advocates for fast-food workers say that a higher living wage and a union would mean better worker morale, which would translate into better customer service and more sales.
They worry about risks of a one-day strike, but insist that it's a battle worth waging.
"If you don't fight for it," said Caldwell, "you're not going to get it -- not in this capitalistic system."
On Twitter: @Will_Bunch
Blog: ph.ly/Attytood.com
___
(c)2014 the Philadelphia Daily News
Visit the Philadelphia Daily News at www.philly.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 1294 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News