New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Darien McDonald’s workers plan to end strike
DARIEN — Workers at the service plaza on northbound Interstate 95 planned to end their strike Wednesday, one day after walking off the job to protest for better medical coverage and paid sick time, racial injustice, and against what they are calling “stolen” wages.
“They are stealing from the workers,” Local 32BJ officer Alberto Bernadez said after workers walked out and set up two columns in the parking lot at 11 a.m. Tuesday. “Those workers don’t have proper PPE, they don’t have proper training, so the don’t have safe working conditions, and they don’t have respect.”
State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, whose district includes Darien and Norwalk, will lead workers back to their jobs at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. The event will be streamed live on the Facebook page 32BJSEIU.
“If we don’t get justice, they do not get served fries,” 32BJ organizer Neil Diaz said as he filmed Tuesday’s rally.
“The workers on strike today are fighting for paid sick leave during a pandemic,” Duff said after Tuesday’s walkout. “If I were a customer at one of the service stations, I would not want to contemplate an employee would have to choose between serving me while sick or losing a day’s pay. It’s a terrible choice and puts everyone at risk.”
Workers say that without paid sick time, they cannot afford to take time off when they are ill, or when they must care for ailing relatives.
The striking workers are from Michell McDonald’s franchise, with workers from other McDonald’s franchises also joining the protest. The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against Michell Enterprises, which operates the McDonald’s, for refusing to recall four franchise workers who were organizing for better working conditions. That case is going to hearing on Dec. 16.
Workers from Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Sbarro franchises also say they’ve had to come into work sick because their employers either haven’t offered paid sick leave or haven’t informed workers of their rights.
Fast food workers are calling on Connecticut Service Plaza franchise owners to show their commitment to Black Lives Matter by ending wage theft against Black and Latinx workers and following Connecticut’s Standard Wage law, according to a news release.
“This is what it takes to live today,” Vincent Oliver said when he spoke to fellow workers. “You have to have courage to go to work. You have to have courage to stand and be able to provide for your families. Medical, sick days (are )important. When you work 40 hours a week at $12 an hour, that’s $480 a week, you cannot pay for your own medical.”
Saying the cost of living in the state has been increasing for decades, Oliver added, “You cannot live in Connecticut making minimum wage.”