Minneapolis $15 and Union Rights March 4-15-15 shut down Minneapolis intersection

[Omaha Steve]

Striking fast food workers and supporters shut down the intersection by the Dinkytown McDonald's on Wednesday. Photo by Barb Kucera

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/articles/fast-food-workers-shut-down-minneapolis-intersection

Fast food workers shut down Minneapolis intersection
By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota
April 15, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS
At age 17, Keonna Laury attends high school – and works 33 hours a week at Burger King to help support her family of seven. Some nights she does not get home until after midnight, then must do her homework before arising early for school.

She earns $9.25 an hour and has no sick time or other benefits. When she came down with the flu, “They told me to come to work or get someone else to take my shift — or I was fired.”

On Wednesday, Laury was on the back of a pickup truck blocking the main intersection in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis during the evening rush hour, telling her story to a huge crowd during a national day of protest.

The demonstrators, who had rallied on the University of Minnesota campus before marching to Dinkytown, chanted and carried signs calling for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and paid sick leave.

FULL story at link.

Published on Apr 17, 2015
http://www.workdayminnesota.org/
MINNEAPOLIS 4-15-15
Demonstrators rallied on the University of Minnesota campus before marching to Dinkytown chanting and carried signs calling for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and paid sick leave.

Local organizers said 87 fast food workers went on strike in the Twin Cities Wednesday. They were joined at the rally and march by hundreds of other fast food workers and supporters, including students and employees of the University, Walmart, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and many others.

“This is our moment — we are going to change service jobs from ones that drag our economy down into ones that lift up workers, families and communities,” said Carmela Palacios, Burger King employee and member of CTUL, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha/Center of Workers United in Struggle.

“Fast-food workers are joining together and standing up for what’s right, and standing with so many people working in a variety of industries, we are stronger than ever. I know we will win.”

Nationwide, demonstrations were held in 237 cities, according to organizers for the “Fight for 15” movement. They said workers went on strike for the first time in Albany, New York; Asheville, North Carolina; Greenville, Mississippi; Montgomery, Alabama; and San Jose, California.

[Enthusiast]

1. K&R! This is inspirational! Watch this!

[daleanime]

2. Sweet!

[midnight]

3. kick. If fast food chains like McDonalds can provide 21.00 an hour to flip burgers in

Denmark they can pay that amount in America. Sick leave should be a given.

http://www.kcet.org/living/food/food-rant/mcdonalds-workers-in-denmark-make-21-an-hour.html

[geretogo]

4. People like this need to increase by the millions , outside the Koch's home , Limbaugh's home , the

Capital and the homes of every right wing Senator and Congressman . They all need to be carrying
nooses with a tree on wheels and do it every day . Maybe we can stave off what the people of Pnochet's
Chili or Franco's Spain went through . Any thing less and we are fucked but good .