Fast-food protests are planned for several U.S. cities Tuesday as labor organizers look to bring attention to practices they say illegally deprive workers of their wages, according to MSNBC.
The protests are planned for about 30 cities, but it's not clear what the scope of the turnout will be, MSNBC reported. It's part of an ongoing campaign by labor groups to build support for pay of $15 an hour and bring attention to the rights of low-wage workers.
Organizers have also been referring workers to attorneys, who filed lawsuits in three states last week saying McDonald's was stealing their wages in a variety of ways, such as by docking paychecks for the cost of their uniforms, according to MSNBC.
McDonald's Corp. said it planned to investigate the allegations and take necessary actions, MSNBC reported.
The protests by labor groups since late 2012 have captured national media attention and served as an important backdrop for President Obama's push to lift workers' wages, according to MSNBC.
The White House wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, or about $21,000 a year for full-time work, MSNBC reported. That's up from the current pay of $7.25 an hour, or $15,000 a year, which was last raised in 2009.
Protests organizers are getting financial and organizational support from the Service Employees International Union, as well as local Democratic lawmakers and community leaders for the protests, according to MSNBC. In New York City, public advocate Tish James and others were expected to turn out Tuesday for a rally at a McDonald's near the Empire State Building.
"The lawsuits that were filed last week put McDonald's on notice that fast food workers are aware that they're getting their money stolen," said Kendall Fells, who works for the Service Employees International Union but said he was "on loan" to the campaign for higher wages, MSNBC reported.
The lawsuits filed in California, Michigan and New York against McDonald's detail a variety of "wage theft" allegations, according to MSNBC.
For Tuesday, organizers said protests were scheduled in about 30 cities but the number of cities could rise, MSNBC reported.
Brendan Brosh, a spokesman for James' office, said the New York City public advocate plans to propose legislation that would establish a hotline where workers could anonymously report actions that amount to wage theft, according to MSNBC. The legislation would also give city agencies expanded authorities to investigate wage theft.
