Fast food strikes have hit several cities around the United States, including Los Angeles, New York and Washington.
Part of a "Fight for 15" nationwide campaign, the march involves protesters/fast food workers from 270 cities in the U.S. walking out on the streets to take part in what organizers hope to be the largest fast food strike ever, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Service Employees International Union is reportedly the major backer of the "Fight for 15" campaign.
The campaign is saying that the fast food workers who are earning less than $15 an hour are "a voting bloc that can no longer be ignored."
The last strike of "Fight for 15" has been nearly three years ago, and it appears that on Tuesday, the hard work is paying off.
The "Fight for 15" campaign, which aims to boost fast food workers' minimum wage, had become the largest mass demonstration in the U.S. Participants include fast-food and other service-sector workers. While some strikes had been small, strikes in big cities such as New York, San Francisco and Pittsburgh, had massive participants.
On Tuesday, it also became apparent that the campaign is being backed by political figures, including Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Bill de Blasio.
Indeed, the fight could no longer be ignored.
Leading candidate for the Democratic nomination, Clinton reportedly tweeted a message of encouragement to the strikers. Meanwhile, another Democratic candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, went to the strikers personally outside the U.S. Capitol and spoke to them. As for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, he himself joined Brooklyn protesters.
In addition, New York and Pittsburgh have already announced that their new policies will be focusing on a $15 wage floor.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced recently that by 2021, city employees and contract workers in the state would be paid at least $15 per hour. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the same policy for state employees would be making $15, but theirs would be mandated by the end of 2018.
The end result of the "Fight for 15" campaign for the entire country remains unclear at the moment. However, the political backing is quite clear.
According to The Huffington Post, one of the biggest victories of the "Fight for 15" campaign so far is New York's decision in July to set a $15 minimum wage for fast food workers. In the meantime, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles are slowly following suit, raising their city minimum wages to $15 in following years.
For photos of fast food strikes in LA, click here, here, here, here and here.
See a photo of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joining protesters in this photo here.
Check out tweets of Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton here and here, where they both support protesters in Washington.
Check out a video of the strikes here.
