Staffing

McDonald's workers in 20 cities to strike today

Image: iStock

May 20, 2020

McDonald's Corp. is the target of a planned strike today by its workers in 20 U.S. cities calling attention to what workers allege is inadequate employee protection during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to USA Today. 

Minimum-wage labor campaign, Fight for $15 organized the job action with support from the Service Employees International Union. Hundreds of workers are expected to take part, after organizers allege that a survey of 800 McDonald's employees the first week of April showed that 42% said management instructed them not to use masks and gloves, the common protective equipment restaurant and other retail workers are using on the job during the pandemic. 

In fact, organizers said 46% of those surveyed reported that they have reported to work in the past when they felt sick for fear of being disciplined or penalized. Both the workers and job action organizers and McDonald's have run full-page ads in nationally distributed newspapers this week expressing their views on the company's safety practices during the pandemic.