People swinging through fast-food drive-thrus on their way to work this morning in Lansing and Detroit had to pass by groups of picketers.
“What do we want … 15… When do we want it …NOW,” chanted a small group of protesters who walked and waved signs in front of the McDonald's on Martin Luther King Boulevard in south Lansing.
The union-backed protest wants fast-food outlets to increase pay to $15 an hour.
Nikiya Smith has worked at the McDonald's for two years. She says the recent increase in the state minimum wage to $8.15 an hour just isn’t enough.
“I can’t deny the fact that yes, I do notice any little bit of change,” says Smith. “But at the same time, I still don’t feel like it’s enough. It’s just not enough.”
The Lansing protest was quiet. But in Detroit, and Flint, some protesters were arrested.
A spokesman for the National Restaurant Associationdismisses the protests as being orchestrated by labor groups hoping to boost their dwindling membership by targeting restaurant employees.
