Fast Food Workers Protest for Higher Wages

Activists seek to double federal minimum wage.

Spurring Change - Monday kicked off a week of fiery demonstrations in New York City, Kansas City and Flint, Michigan, where fast food workers are demanding higher wages and an end to what protesters call unfair labor practices. Support has grown to cover at least nine U.S. cities, with more demonstrations expected in Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago (where workers previously went on strike in April) in the coming days. Keep reading for a closer look at this fast brewing, fast food movement. — Britt Middleton (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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Spurring Change - Monday kicked off a week of fiery demonstrations in New York City, Kansas City and Flint, Michigan, where fast food workers are demanding higher wages and an end to what protesters call unfair labor practices. Support has grown to cover at least nine U.S. cities, with more demonstrations expected in Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago (where workers previously went on strike in April) in the coming days. Keep reading for a closer look at this fast brewing, fast food movement. — Britt Middleton (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Meeting the Demands - Workers are calling for the federal minimum wage to more than double from $7.25 an hour to $15, as well as the right to unionize. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Meeting the Demands - Workers are calling for the federal minimum wage to more than double from $7.25 an hour to $15, as well as the right to unionize. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Workers on Strike - Employees at McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants around New York walked out from their jobs on Monday afternoon. Hundreds of workers took part in the strike, according to activists. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

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Workers on Strike - Employees at McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants around New York walked out from their jobs on Monday afternoon. Hundreds of workers took part in the strike, according to activists. (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

"Supersize Our Wages" - Keeping the energy high, the crowd chanted "we can't survive on $7.25" and "supersize our wages," the Associated Press reported. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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"Supersize Our Wages" - Keeping the energy high, the crowd chanted "we can't survive on $7.25" and "supersize our wages," the Associated Press reported. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Fast Food Forward - This week's demonstrations were organized by the national Fast Food Forward campaign. Formed last year, the group has called for raising the wages as a means to strengthen the economy overall. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Fast Food Forward - This week's demonstrations were organized by the national Fast Food Forward campaign. Formed last year, the group has called for raising the wages as a means to strengthen the economy overall. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Barely Getting By - "In America, people who work hard should be able to afford basic necessities like groceries, rent, childcare and transportation. While fast food corporations reap the benefits of record profits, workers are barely getting by — many are forced to be on public assistance despite having a job," the Fast Food Forward campaign writes on its website. As of July 30, the website had more than 124,900 signatures of support. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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Barely Getting By - "In America, people who work hard should be able to afford basic necessities like groceries, rent, childcare and transportation. While fast food corporations reap the benefits of record profits, workers are barely getting by — many are forced to be on public assistance despite having a job," the Fast Food Forward campaign writes on its website. As of July 30, the website had more than 124,900 signatures of support. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Show Them the Money - It's estimated that the fast food industry rakes in $200 billion annually, but activists are pressuring fast food executives to show them the money. Fast Food Forward reports that on average, fast food employees in New York City make just $11,000 annually, compared to the average $25,000 daily salary "of most fast food CEOs." (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Show Them the Money - It's estimated that the fast food industry rakes in $200 billion annually, but activists are pressuring fast food executives to show them the money. Fast Food Forward reports that on average, fast food employees in New York City make just $11,000 annually, compared to the average $25,000 daily salary "of most fast food CEOs." (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The National Picture - According to the U.S. Labor Department's most recent estimate, the median salary for food and beverage workers nationally is $18,130 per year ($8.72 an hour). Most food service jobs are entry level and do not require a high school diploma and provide on-the-job training. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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The National Picture - According to the U.S. Labor Department's most recent estimate, the median salary for food and beverage workers nationally is $18,130 per year ($8.72 an hour). Most food service jobs are entry level and do not require a high school diploma and provide on-the-job training. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Impacting the Most Vulnerable - With workers making less money, it is inevitable that added hardships result for people already living at or below the poverty line. According to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, about 46.2 million Americans are living in poverty today, with African-Americans making up nearly 28 percent. (Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

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Impacting the Most Vulnerable - With workers making less money, it is inevitable that added hardships result for people already living at or below the poverty line. According to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, about 46.2 million Americans are living in poverty today, with African-Americans making up nearly 28 percent. (Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

A Need of Balance - While more than 6 million jobs have been added to the U.S. private sector in the past three years, about 80,000 of them were "low-paying," according to a May report from economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland. The economists defined "low-paying" jobs as those paying 80 percent or less of the average private-sector wage of $20.04 per hour, the Huffington Post reported. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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A Need of Balance - While more than 6 million jobs have been added to the U.S. private sector in the past three years, about 80,000 of them were "low-paying," according to a May report from economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland. The economists defined "low-paying" jobs as those paying 80 percent or less of the average private-sector wage of $20.04 per hour, the Huffington Post reported. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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McDonald's Fall Out - In July, McDonald's drew criticism after it launched a website to help its employees manage personal finances on a minimum wage salary. A sample "budget journal" offered a number seemingly unreasonable allowances, including earmarking just $20 a month for health care, $0 for heating, and $600 a month for rent, but as Think Progress pointed out, no money for food or clothing. (Photo: Courtesy of McDonald's/VISA)

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McDonald's Fall Out - In July, McDonald's drew criticism after it launched a website to help its employees manage personal finances on a minimum wage salary. A sample "budget journal" offered a number seemingly unreasonable allowances, including earmarking just $20 a month for health care, $0 for heating, and $600 a month for rent, but as Think Progress pointed out, no money for food or clothing. (Photo: Courtesy of McDonald's/VISA)

Trouble Ahead? - It will likely now be up to lawmakers to decide if or how to handle this growing labor issue. Perhaps foreshadowing a long road ahead, Scott DeFife of the National Restaurant Association told the Associated Press Monday that doubling the minimum wage would have a "significant effect on the private sector's ability to create jobs, especially those typically filled by first-time workers and teenagers." (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

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Trouble Ahead? - It will likely now be up to lawmakers to decide if or how to handle this growing labor issue. Perhaps foreshadowing a long road ahead, Scott DeFife of the National Restaurant Association told the Associated Press Monday that doubling the minimum wage would have a "significant effect on the private sector's ability to create jobs, especially those typically filled by first-time workers and teenagers." (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

What Is the Cost for Change? - According to a new report by the University of Kansas, consumers would pay about 68 cents more for a Big Mac at McDonald's if the fast food chain doubled the salaries and benefits of its workers. The cost for items on the popular dollar menu would increase by just 17 cents. "These numbers underscore what low-wage workers already know: It would take very little for McDonalds to vastly improve the lives of those who make the company run," writes Think Progress' Annie-Rose Strasser. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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What Is the Cost for Change? - According to a new report by the University of Kansas, consumers would pay about 68 cents more for a Big Mac at McDonald's if the fast food chain doubled the salaries and benefits of its workers. The cost for items on the popular dollar menu would increase by just 17 cents. "These numbers underscore what low-wage workers already know: It would take very little for McDonalds to vastly improve the lives of those who make the company run," writes Think Progress' Annie-Rose Strasser. (Photo: AP Photo/John Minchillo)