Detroit fast-food workers join US protests to raise federal minimum wage

DETROIT – The battle for the minimum wage heated up on Friday.

The $ 15 fight took place at a McDonald’s near the intersection of Livernois Avenue and West McNichols Road on the west side of Detroit. The weather was less than ideal for a rally, but it did not stop the protesters.

Fast food workers have joined protests in more than a dozen cities across the country. They want the minimum wage to rise to $ 15 an hour.

Workers left the job to join the Fight for $ 15 movement. Protesters want the Joe Biden government to raise the federal minimum wage in Biden’s first 100 days after taking office. This could increase the wages of nearly 40% of black workers and reduce the racial wage gap.

The federal minimum wage has not increased since July 2009.

“We work hard. Very difficult, ”said Domoique Jackson. “We are being heard here. It’s MLK’s birthday, so we have to continue our legacy and his legacy to him. “

Detroit cooks and fast-food boxes honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday by continuing the fight for economic and racial justice and asking for a living wage. They said that many colleagues work full-time, but still rely on federal aid programs to put food on the table.

Detroit police prevented the caravan from blocking McDonald’s drive-thru, which happened at similar rallies across the country.