Quote of the Day

"I think I'm doing more than what I should, and for $8.25, it's not enough"—Esly Hernandez, a Dunkin Donuts worker making $8.25 an hour, who is one of the hundreds of service workers striking in Chicago today in pursuit of a $15/hourly wage and the right to unionize.

Hernandez, who said he lives "paycheck-to-paycheck," joined the Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago (WOCC) after being approached by a coworker. That workers organization, with the support of other local workers groups and unions, is leading the Fight for 15 campaign to raise wages and form a union.

Hernandez said he joined the strike in large part because he wanted to be a good father to his four-year-old son. "I want to be able to go to school, to pay for school, and for him to be proud of me," he said. Because his son—who does not live with him—is anemic, Hernandez said he is sometimes forced to choose between buying medically recommended nutrition for his son and paying his electricity bills.

"I don't want my son to go through the struggles that I've been through," said Hernandez.

Labor unrest in low-wage service and retail sector workplaces has become increasingly prevalent over the last few years, as those sectors have come to occupy increasingly central roles in the U.S. economy. Low-wage jobs in those industries have driven post-recession job growth to a great degree, leading observers such as labor reporter Andrew Kroll to refer to the American economy in its current form as "the McJobs economy."

...Wednesday's strike in Chicago is remarkable because it shows just how contagious this kind of labor unrest has become. Until now, major fast food strikes have been confined to New York City, which recently held a second strike, even larger than its first. The strike in Chicago is the first major labor action to afflict the fast food industry in a city besides New York.

The striking workers in Chicago today include employees of McDonald's, Subway, Macy's, Sears, and Victoria's Secret.