Thousands of fast food workers set to strike

In one of the largest labor actions in recent history, fast food workers in 150 cities are planning strikes and acts of civil disobedience for Thursday, Sept. 4.

The New York Times reports that in an effort to have even more of an impact and draw further attention to the cause, the fast food workers will be joined by thousands of home health care providers.

The workers are demanding that their wages be increased to $15.00 an hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25, with some states' minimum wages topping out at around $10 dollars. The current minimum wages are difficult to live on, with some contending that it is actually impossible to survive on a full-time minimum wage job. Bloomberg notes that the average fast food work earns a wage of $9.08 an hour.

Compounding the problem is that fact that many minimum wage positions do not provide full 40-hour work weeks.

The Times reports that the decision to ramp up their tactics to include civil disobedience was made in July at a Chicago convention of labor activists and organizers. The more than 1,300 attendees voted on and approved a measure to begin using the tactics of civil disobedience.

The convention, organized by the Service Employees International Union, took place not far from McDonald's corporate headquarters. The S.E.I.U is one of the nation's largest labor unions. It represents approximately two million people.

The S.E.I.U is the reason that the home health aides will be participating in Thursday's labor action. The S.E.I.U's membership is traditionally drawn from janitors, hospital workers, and home health care aides.

The Times says the home health workers will join protests in the cities of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Seattle.