McDonald’s announced today that it plans to raise U.S. workers’ hourly wage by $1 per hour and increase benefits by the end of 2016, The Wall Street Journal and Time report (note that the WSJ article is behind a pay wall). The changes will affect workers in roughly 1,500 U.S. restaurants. The new benefits will allow those “employees to earn up to five days of paid vacation every year following one year of employment.”
Hesitant to be excited due to the risk that this is a cruel April Fools’ Day trick? It is not, but there is a catch. The pay raise and new benefits won’t apply to workers employed by McDonald’s franchisees, who operate “90 percent of the company’s U.S. restaurants.”
This news comes during the same week as NLRB hearing proceedings concerning whether McDonald’s is jointly responsible for labor violations at its franchisees. Also this week, fast-food workers and organizers announced a one-day strike and national day of action on April 15, as part of their campaign for $15 hourly wages and the right to unionize without retaliation. The announcement was made at an event outside of the McDonald’s in New York’s Times Square.
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April 17
Los Angeles teachers reach tentative agreement; labor leaders launch Union Now; and federal unions challenge FLRA power concentration.
April 16
DOD terminates union contracts; building workers in New York authorize a strike; and the American Postal Workers Union launches ads promoting mail-in voting.
April 15
LAUSD school staff reach agreement; EBSA releases deregulatory priorities; Trump nominates third NLRB Republican.
April 14
Meatpacking workers ratify new contract; NLRB proposes Amazon settlement; NLRB's new docketing system leading to case dismissals.
April 13
Starbucks' union files new complaint with NLRB; FAA targets video gamers in new recruiting pitch; and Apple announces closure of unionized store.
April 12
The Office of Personnel Management seeks the medical records of millions of federal workers, and ProPublica journalists engage in a one-day strike.