4/15/2015
By Ivan Pereira
Thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets Wednesday in solidarity with workers around the globe demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage.
Fast food workers, unions, civic groups and others rallied in front of fast food chain locations throughout the city and marched through the streets of Manhattan as part of the global “Fight for 15″ day of action. The protesters say corporations like McDonald’s have no excuse to pay their employees low salaries while the cost of living continues to rise.
“I’m depending on public assistance, and that shouldn’t be,” said Jumal Tarver, 36, who works at a Columbus Circle McDonald’s.
Other cities like Seattle, St. Louis, and Hong Kong held similar “Fight for 15” rallies. The thousands of New York protesters, w began the morning with a demonstration in Downtown Brooklyn and held other rallies in Manhattan later in the day.
They marched north, stopping at several chain stores, including a McDonald’s at 71st Street and Amsterdam Avenue where they held a die-in.
The marchers stopped at Columbus Circle, where crowds stretched as far north as to streets in the 80s. before heading down to the Times Square McDonald’s at the end of the day.
Beth Schaffer, 31, a McDonald’s worker from South Carolina, said she had to come to New York for the protest.
“The movement started here,” she said.
Unlike Tuesday’s night protests against police brutality, where 43 people were taken into custody, there were no reported arrests during Wednesday’s day of action, according to the NYPD.
McDonald’s said it respected people’s right to protest but said it’s taken steps to give its workers better salaries including a raise from $9.01 an hour $9.90 an hour at company-owned restaurants.
“This is an important and meaningful first step as we continue to look at opportunities that will make a difference for employees,” the fast food giant said in a statement.
The raise, however, doesn’t affect the independently owned and operated franchises which make up 90% of McDonald’s restaurants. Those locations’ managers set their wages according to local laws, according to the company.
The state’s minimum wage is currently $8.75 an hour and will rise to $9 on Dec. 31. Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to raise it to $11.50 an hour in the city at the end of 2016, while the state Assembly want to raise it to $12.75 an hour in 2017, $13.75 an hour in 2018, and $15 an hour in 2019.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who was one of several elected officials who supported “Fight for 15,” encouraged more New Yorkers to speak up and push the government and companies to evolve.
“This has been a constant movement that has created results,” she said. “The pressure is building.” (with Robyn Spector)
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Here’s the history of minimum wage in New York State along with inflation adjusted numbers according to U.S. Consumer Price Index.
1962: $1.15/ hour ($8.94 in 2015 dollars)
1975: $2.10/ hour ($9.16 in 2015 dollars)
1981: $3.35/ hour ($8.65 in 2015 dollars)
1991: $4.25/ hour ($7.32 in 2015 dollars)
2005: $6.00/ hour ($7.21 in 2015 dollars)
2015: $8.75/ hour
