This morning, fast food workers in New York City walked off the job to demand higher wages and the right to unionize, Josh Eidelson reports:

At 6:30 this morning, New York City fast food workers walked off the job, launching a rare strike against a nearly union-free industry. Organizers expect workers at dozens of stores to join the one-day strike, a bold challenge to an industry whose low wages, limited hours and precarious employment typify a growing portion of the U.S. economy.

New York City workers are organizing at McDonald’s, Burger King, Domino’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Papa John’s. Organizers expect today’s strike to include workers from almost all of those chains, with the largest group coming from McDonald’s; the company did not respond to a request for comment. [Salon]

A spokesman for New York Communities for Change told Eidelson that today’s action represents “the biggest organizing campaign that’s happened in the fast food industry.” Over the past few months, forty full-time organizers have been reaching to fast food workers at McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and other quick serve restaurants in the city.  

They have their work cut out for them. The fast food industry is vehemently anti-union. 

JoseCerillo, a 79-year-old who cleans tables and floors at a New York McDonald’s, told Salon he was suspended by the company on Monday after signing up co-workers on the campaign petition. According to Cerillo, management said the punishment was for violating a “no solicitation” policy. “They feel threatened because I’m organizing,” said Cerillo (he was interviewed in Spanish). He said he circulated the petition during break times and outside of work. [Salon]

A rally for the strikers is scheduled for 4pm this afternoon in Times Square.

[Photo credit: Patrick Q, Creative Commons.]