By Heather Haddon 

Hundreds of workers at McDonald's Corp. restaurants walked off the job on Thursday to protest what they described as low pay, unsafe workplaces and sexual harassment.

The walkouts prompted operators to close 10 restaurants in St. Louis, and workers picketed outside McDonald's in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The day's events are among the most visible disruptions to the chain's operations in the years since unions have sought to organize workers.

Several hundred workers from restaurants in 13 cities left their posts during the breakfast and lunch rushes, said unions and advocacy groups coordinating their efforts to seek higher pay, labor representation and safer working conditions.

"We know McDonald's can pay us more," read a strike notice that workers delivered to managers at one Detroit restaurant, according to a photo viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said the company recognizes the rights of its employees to join labor organizations or opt to work outside of them. Labor organizers have tried for years to make inroads with employees of the nation's biggest restaurant chain by sales.

Heightened tension with its workers comes as McDonald's tries to boost customer traffic in the U.S. and improve relations with franchisees. Visits to fast-food companies across the U.S. have stalled, and traffic growth at McDonald's has slowed even as same-store sales have improved thanks in part to higher prices.

McDonald's Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said the company has improved its antiharassment policy, instituted new training and launched a complaint hotline. About 90% of McDonald's operators and general managers have taken the training so far, Mr. Easterbrook wrote in a letter to Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who had inquired about the restaurant chain's workplace policies.

"McDonald's is committed to ensuring a harassment and bias-free workplace," Mr. Easterbrook said.

In a separate letter, McDonald's said the average starting wage at company-owned stores was above $10 an hour, more than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. The company doesn't set wages for franchisees that run more than 90% of McDonald's 14,000 restaurants in the U.S., executives said.

Franchisees recently formed an association to more effectively respond to McDonald's requests for store upgrades at a time of lower profits, among other issues.

McDonald's has faced calls to boost its minimum wage to a $15 an hour. The company also faces a case before the National Labor Relations Board over labor infractions that workers accuse franchisees of committing against employees fighting for higher wages.

Those efforts have gained momentum from the #MeToo movement, the anti-sexual harassment effort that began in Hollywood and now aims to highlight issues faced by less visible workers. The restaurant industry, one of the largest U.S. employers and a provider of first jobs for many teenagers, has come under particular scrutiny.

Rita Blalock, who has worked at a McDonald's in Raleigh, N.C., for nine years, said she earns $8.50 an hour and had gone on strike to demonstrate her desire for union representation.

"The best way for us to make our jobs better is by joining together," said Ms. Blalock, who attended a rally in Dallas led by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate.

Former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, another Democratic presidential candidate, attended a rally of McDonald's employees in Durham, N.C., on Thursday. Presidential candidates including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio marched at other gatherings.

Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 23, 2019 17:39 ET (21:39 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
McDonalds (NYSE:MCD)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Fév 2024 à Mar 2024 Plus de graphiques de la Bourse McDonalds
McDonalds (NYSE:MCD)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Mar 2023 à Mar 2024 Plus de graphiques de la Bourse McDonalds