Fast-food workers all across the country went on a one-day unfair labor practice strike on Sept. 4. From New York to Los Angeles and here in Sacramento, workers took to the streets to protest, march and rally for their demands.
Workers are fighting for a $15 living wage. They are fighting for health care, sick days and respect. These are all basic demands that all workers should have but are withheld from low-wage workers in the capitalist United States.
Workers started their strike as early as 4 a.m. At 6 a.m., the workers and their community supporters marched onto a south Sacramento McDonald’s. The store did not open that day, supposedly due to fear of the protesters, even though they had hired several private security guards in addition to the police presence. But the drive-through window was still open, so hundreds of workers marched into it chanting, “Hold the burger, hold the fries, make our wages supersize!”
After the 6 a.m. rally, workers drove around the Sacramento area to many fast-food restaurants to convince their fellow workers to walk off the job and join the strike. One of the workers now leading the Sacramento movement first got involved in a previous protest when workers convinced her to walk off.
Others went around the city doing banner drops over busy freeways. The banners boldly proclaimed demands like “Fight for $15,” and another featured a large painting of the greedy mascot Ronald McDonald.
Later that day, the workers regrouped for a second march and rally, this time onto one of the busiest McDonald’s in Sacramento. Hundreds of supporters joined the workers in the protest. Members of unions like UNITE HERE, SEIU USWW, and OUR Walmart were present. Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation marched, chanted, and helped organize the march.
After reaching the busy Broadway McDonald’s, workers who were fed up with the greedy exploitative corporate owners decided to take over a busy intersection. They blocked more than a dozen lanes while chanting, “We believe that we will win!” The action prevented any business into McDonald’s, and it also drew a large number of press, which helped to publicize the campaign.
The workers’ actions infuriated the police, who frantically drove around the march trying to regain control. The police threatened protesters and removed most from the street except for a number of young workers who refused to leave. As they have done historically, the police arrested the people fighting for their rights to protect the property interests of the wealthy.
The cops repeatedly harassed the workers and activists throughout the day. Two cops responded to a bogus call placed by a store owner. (The owner went so far as to claim that a young worker had pushed an elderly woman, which was a blatant lie as testified by many witnesses.)
Regardless of the police and owners’ intimidation tactics, the workers continue to fight for their rights. The recent actions are only part of the larger movement that has already deeply changed U.S. society. As the fast-food workers continue their struggle, we must join them, we must make their fight our fight, because all struggles are in reality one struggle and only a united movement can win!
