McDonald’s workers once again took their fight for a $15-an-hour wage to the streets, but today, they had a little extra muscle, as NBC 5’s Charlie Wojciechowski explains.
McDonald's workers made their voices heard Thursday along West Randolph Street.
Aishia Townsend was there with her 8-year-old son. She said she works four jobs to make ends meet.
"At this point, McDonald's needs to give us more," she said. "We have been doing this for far too long."
Marching alongside Townsend, presidential candidate and Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee.
"You can't tell me its right that you can't give people a raise when the CEO makes as much in one hour than the median worker in one year," Inslee said. "That's got to change."
As important as the $15 an hour wage is, workers say union representation is just as important.
Maggie Laslo is the secretary treasurer of SEIU HCII.
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"And that's why we are here today, to demand what we all deserve," she said.
In a statement, McDonald's said it pays $10 an hour at its corporate restaurants, but cannot control what its franchisees pay.
It also says it recognizes the rights of its employees to join or choose not to join a union.
Townsend, who has worked for McDonald's since 2015, says she is still struggling.
"At the end of the day, McDonald's needs to pay up," she said. "McDonald's needs to do what they are supposed to do."
