Minimum wage protest held in Uniontown
Roberto M. Esquivel | Herald-Sta
Protesters, made up of mostly local union representatives, marched inside the Morgantown St. McDonald蘑菇视频 fast-food restaurant in Uniontown Thursday afternoon. The local protest is part of a nationwide effort to boost the minimum wage from $7.25 up to $15 an hour.
Roberto M. Esquivel | 蘑菇视频
Protesters, made up of mostly local union representatives, marched inside the Morgantown Street McDonald蘑菇视频 fast-food restaurant in Uniontown Thursday afternoon. The local protest is part of a nationwide effort to boost the minimum wage from $7.25 up to $15 an hour.
Several dozen protesters marched around the McDonald蘑菇视频 restaurant on Morgantown Street Thursday, calling for a living wage for fast food workers.
It was one of hundreds of protests held around the country to draw attention to a need for an increase in the minimum wage, which is currently $7.25/hour.
The local protesters, mostly area union members and representatives, first gathered in the Uniontown Shopping Center parking lot shortly before noon, then entered the McDonald蘑菇视频 holding signs calling for $15/hour wages while chanting 鈥淔orward together, not one step back.鈥�
Some patrons of the restaurant questioned the need for disruptive tactics.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 irritating. We haven鈥檛 had a paycheck since January and we鈥檙e making ends meet. I鈥檓 on disability. We鈥檙e struggling too, but we鈥檙e not screaming about it,鈥� said Rebecca Stillwagon of Masontown.
鈥淚 heard Obama say it蘑菇视频 (minimum wage) going to be $10 an hour. All they need to do is approve it,鈥� said John Ziak of Perryopolis who had been eating his lunch when the protest began. 鈥淭hey aren鈥檛 going to be satisfied because it蘑菇视频 not $15,鈥� Ziak said of the protesters.
U.S. Senator Bob Casey Thursday said he supports the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 that would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 in three annual steps of 95 cents each. It would also raise the minimum wage for employees who receive tips from 29 percent of minimum wage to 70 percent of minimum wage in six or more steps of 95 cents each. If passed, it would be the first increase in the federal minimum wage since 2007, and would affect more than 19 percent of the workforce in Pennsylvania.
Vito Dragone, manager of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 491 in Uniontown, was among those marching in support of the increased minimum wage.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in support of this national day that蘑菇视频 going on around the country to raise the minimum wage,鈥� Dragone said. 鈥淭his is no longer a part-time job for people. We need a living wage in this country and $7.25 is not cutting it.鈥�
Rich Pechatsko of Masontown, a member of United Mine Workers Local 2300 and a Vietnam veteran, was passionate about his reasons for participating in the protest.
鈥淲e鈥檙e protesting corporate greed, is what we鈥檙e doing. We need to work to get a living wage for working people,鈥� Pechatsko said.
Leslie Bond of Uniontown, a union representative with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 said that, while some people have reacted negatively to the $15 an hour demand, it蘑菇视频 drawn attention to the need that exists.
鈥淵ou always ask for more than you truly expect,鈥� Bond said. 鈥淭hey work hard. They deserve at least $10; they deserve $15, but they have no means to negotiate. We have a retail-based economy now. Just because someone waits tables or serves food or mops up, why does society expect them to live in poverty just because they do that?鈥�
Daniel Jones of Uniontown was one of the few fast food workers among the protesters. He has worked at Long John Silvers/A&W for the past two and a half years.
鈥淓ver since I turned 16, I started there at $7.25 an hour, day in and day out, 35 to 40 hours a week,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 my first and only job.鈥�
Antoine Coates, a Washington, D.C. rap artist who is originally from Uniontown, also attended the protest, performing a song he composed specifically for the event at the request of his stepmother, Uniontown resident Kathryn Goodwin Jones, and one of the event organizers, Chris Bank. A sound system was set up and the song performed before the group was asked to leave the premises or face arrest.
Several McDonald蘑菇视频 employees could be seen giving the thumbs up sign to the protesters who moved to the parking lot before disbanding.