Dozens arrested in fast food strikes for $15 wage and right to unionize

Dozens of fast food workers in cities throughout the United States were arrested in a coordinated series of protests and actions of civil disobedience to demand a minimum wage of $15 and the right to unionize.

Reuters reports that 86 people were arrested for civil disobedience at protests in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Little Rock, Arkansas. These protests come around a year after organizers orchestrated strikes at various fast food restaurants nationwide. The decision to escalate their tactics to include civil disobedience was made at a national convention of fast food and union activists held in July.

The strikes are motivated by the fact that the current minimum wage is not enough to support a family, even if a person works 40 hours a week. Adding to the problem is that many workers are not guaranteed even full-time work.

One worker interviewed by Reuters said she made $8 an hour and must live in a homeless shelter. She says that if she made $15 an hour, she would be able to save up enough money to rent a room. The federal minimum wage is $7.25. Some states have a minimum wage of around $10, but that is the exception rather than the norm.

Reuters notes that a variety of experts have said that $11 an hour would be the level of a poverty threshold wage for a family of four.

Social media carried images of some of the protests and arrests.

Mass arrests in #NYC at #FightFor15 #Fastfoodstrike pic.twitter.com/xFI3lTUQLb

— JamesFromTheInternet (@JamesFTInternet) September 4, 2014

Civil disobedience begins in #Chicago #FastFoodStrike pic.twitter.com/3lacNtFsI1 — Progress Illinois (@progressIL) September 4, 2014

"We are running out of handcuffs" https://t.co/Wf9RKehzVq #FastFoodStrike #Detroit (Photo @rooprajfox2) pic.twitter.com/opt9JTAwcC

— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) September 4, 2014