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Activists Call For Higher Wages At McDonald’s Restaurants

Protesters In Madison, Milwaukee Say Company's Recently Announced Pay Raise Plan Is Not Enough

By
Chuck Quirmbach/WPR

People protested outside McDonald’s restaurants in Milwaukee and Madison on Thursday, declaring that the fast-food company’s newly announced pay raise plan as too limited.

McDonald’s recently said it will offer paid days off and pay one dollar above the minimum wage to employees at its company-owned restaurants. However, only 10 percent of the McDonald’s in the U.S. are company-owned.

Jamal Johnson has worked at a McDonald’s franchise outlet for four years, and makes $7.25 an hour.

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“This attempt by McDonald’s to pretend they hear us is a weak move,” he said. “McDonald’s makes $5 billion in profit because people like me are running at 100 miles an hour to run their stores.”

Labor groups want McDonald’s to pay $15 dollars an hour. McDonald’s said its new pay package reflects a competitive hiring environment.