On May 21, a group of 25 women McDonald’s workers in 20 different cities filed sexual harassment complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In filing these claims, they are helping to expose the rotten culture of sexual exploitation that exists in the food service industry, as well as other industries. McDonald’s top leadership is trying to shirk responsibility by arguing that they are not liable for what goes on in supposedly “independent” McDonald’s franchises, even though franchise holders are little more than glorified sub-contractors. No matter who is the owner of a McDonald’s location, it is still McDonald’s.
On May 23rd, several hundred McDonald’s workers went on strike in 13 cities, including Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Orlando, St. Louis, and Tampa. The workers, who were demanding the right to form a union, a $15 minimum wage, and protections from sexual harassment, timed the walkout for maximum impact: they stopped working during breakfast and lunch rushes (hitting the bosses where it hurts—in the pockets), on the day that the company was having its annual shareholder meeting in Dallas. The actions were coordinated by the Fight for $15 campaign, unions, and other labor advocacy groups.
Rita Blalock, a nine-year McDonald’s employee in Raleigh, North Carolina, makes only $8.50 an hour and decided to join the strike. She told a reporter with the Wall Street Journal that, “the best way for us to make our jobs better is by joining together.”
Both the lawsuit and the coordinated strike are promising signs for workers ready to organize in the food service industry.