The Fast Food Strikes Are Really About Civil Rights

Last week, thousands of fast food workers in seven cities walked out on their jobs to raise awareness of low wages and poor working conditions, and joined one of the largest protests of its kind. Demonstrations called on mega-chains like McDonald's and KFC to raise wages from as low as the federal minimum of $7.25 to $15 per hour. The action is part of a larger campaign to improve working conditions in the predominantly low-wage fast food and retail industries, and is being led by union-backed organizations such as Fast Food Forward. While unionizing some part of the industry is one of the organizers' goals, they mainly hope to influence corporations regarding wages, and bring attention to unsavory workplace practices that could damage brand names.