Rally at McDonald’s
Protesters marched around McDonald’s headquarters as they called for better pay.
OAK BROOK, Ill. — Hundreds of protesters marched around McDonald’s suburban Chicago headquarters Wednesday, shutting down at least one building on the campus as they called for pay of $15 an hour and a union.
About 100 protesters were arrested for trespassing as they temporarily blocked two streets around the McDonald’s campus a day before a the company’s annual shareholder meeting. McDonald’s closed a nearby restaurant because of traffic concerns, and told employees in a building targeted by protesters they should work from home, company spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem said.
Authorities estimated up to 2,000 people took part in Wednesday’s demonstration.
The Rev. William Barber of Goldsboro, N.C., said the campaign extends beyond pushing for a living wage. He called it a fight for racial equality, noting people of color are disproportionally working in low wage jobs.
Sa Shekhem said the company respects the right to protest.
“When it comes it comes to the minimum wage, that is a national discussion, that is not a McDonald’s issue, it’s an economic issue,” she said. “We’ll look to the folks in Washington to determine what happens.”
Earlier this year, McDonald’s said it would raise its starting pay for workers to $1 above the local minimum wage. Labor organizers said the move falls short because it only applies to company-owned stores.
McDonald’s Corp. owns about 10 percent of its stores in the U.S., while the rest are run by franchisees.