Unite Union joins Global Day of Action

15th May 2014

Unite Union

Low wage workers will rally outside McDonalds flagship restaurant in Auckland today (Thursday 15th May) as the first action in a new worldwide campaign for fair pay, and the right for fast food workers to join unions.

The campaign, #fastfoodglobal was called by the IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association) after a worldwide conference of fast food workers held in New York last week.

Unite organiser, Joe Carolan, who recently returned from the US conference, said:

“New Zealand is one of very few countries that have union agreements covering fast food workers. Many of the conditions workers in other countries are struggling to win - we have already achieved here. We are taking action today to support Fast Food workers in the USA and other countries who are fighting for these same conditions.”

Unite led the 2005 “Super Size My Pay” campaign, which ended youth rates in fast food restaurants. It also organised the world's first Starbucks strike and ultimately achieved union contracts for workers employed in all major fast food companies in New Zealand.

Thousands of workers in the USA have been striking to win $15 dollars (US) per hour and the right to belong to a union capturing major news headlines with campaigns like “Fast Food Forward” & “Fight for 15”.

Unite Union which has been negotiating contracts for it’s 5000 Fast Food members throughout the country for almost a decade is also campaigning for an immediate increase to the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

A rally will be held outside Greenlane McDonald’s (cnr of Great South Road and Greenlane West) at midday today (Thursday 15th May). There will be an opportunity to interview workers at the rally.

More info:
• https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FastFoodGlobal
• http://billmoyers.com/2014/05/13/fast-food-industry-bracing-itself-for-the-biggest-round-of-strikes-yet/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3bZVCiwadc

Unite Union has negotiated union agreements to cover conditions of workers in all major fast food companies in NZ. Unite has been organising in the fast food sector since 2005.

ENDS

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