This morning in Chicago, a large group of people is gathering in front of a Subway restaurant to urge fast food companies to pay their employees at least $15 an hour. Today’s rally comes on the heels of similar protests earlier this week.
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We are lining sidewalks outside @subway on lasalle & Monroe, the chants are deafening #strikefor15 #fightforChi pic.twitter.com/ZfOetSokkT
— Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) August 1, 2013
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Note that many of the protesters are carrying Spanish-language signs. Coincidentally, the greatest legislative threat to low-skilled American workers is “comprehensive immigration reform,” which would grant amnesty to millions of low-wage illegal alien workers — many of them from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries.
As Mickey Kaus notes, a major impetus for the immigration bill is the desire to keep low-skilled workers’ wages low:
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.@RepPaulRyan is for intervention in the market when wages threaten to go up! Can't have that. http://t.co/EUZiIXmdIa
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) July 31, 2013
If those striking this week are truly worried about the plight of the low-wage American worker, perhaps they ought to direct their energy toward defeating the Gang of Eight immigration bill.
Related:
‘Make our salaries super-sized’: Fast food workers walk off the job, rally for pay hike
Widely-cited ‘study’ of McDonald’s wages by ‘researcher’ was written by an undergrad
‘They deserve a raise’: Geraldo stands with striking fast food workers
Robert Reich: Cutting wages and benefits results in more jobs … just like slavery did
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