Thousands of fast-food workers are striking in protest of low wages

Your fast food might not be so fast today, as thousands of fast-food workers are walking off their jobs in protest of their low wages. Employees of McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and KFC in 33 countries are banding together to demand a pay increase to $15 per hour and the right to form an union.
Fast food workers are commonly paid minimum wage, which ranges from $7 to $9 per hour depending on the state. Strikers, who are all wearing the same t-shirt embossed with the #FastFoodGlobal hashtag, hope the one-day protest nudges the chains to increase their pay away from poverty-line levels.
USA Today reports no violence has been reported and the companies effected said customer service will remain a "top priority" throughout the day. --Jordan Valinsky
The Week
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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