Fast food employees on six continents will fight for higher pay May 15, marking the first time overseas workers' protests will take place outside the United States.
"We've gone global," Ashley Cathey, a McDonald's worker from Memphis, Tenn. told USA Today.
Cathey, who has earned $7.75 an hour after six years with the company, sees the opportunity as a positive way to end unfair payment practices.
"Our fight has inspired workers around the world to come together," Cathey told USA Today.
Workers from McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC locations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and Central America will participate in the historical event.
Employees in Philadelphia, Pa., and Sacramento, Calif, are also expected to walk off the job as part of strike activity in the U.S. Workers in Miami, Fla., and Orlando, Fla., will also participate.
According to USA Today, participants will take a stand against their current $7.25 an hour pay rate - a yearly pay of about $15,000. CNN Money reported that fast food workers are paid an average $9 an hour in the United States - this totals to nearly $18,500 annually.
Service Employees International Union members have fought to raise awareness about low wages, and said they'll continue fighting for more. Over two million members work in the health care and janitorial fields.
United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) Nev., worked on legislation to increase minimum wage in 2013.
Some states, including New Jersey, have already approved legislation to increase wages. The Garden State pays workers $8.25 an hour. California, Connecticut and Rhode Island have also increased their respective state wages.
The protests are expected to be a hot topic at McDonald's yearly shareholders meeting May 22 in Oak Brook, Ill.
The International Union of Food Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations convened for the global workers' first meeting this week, USA Today reported.
The group includes 396 trade unions from 126 countries, totaling to about 12 million people.
