Minimum wage workers from all around the state picketed outside major fast-food chains on Wednesday in Aberdeen to bring attention to efforts to raise Washington’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The demonstration was one of many that took place during the day throughout the country. Fast-food, homecare and airport workers were among those voicing unhappiness with wages they say don’t allow them to adequately provide for themselves or their families.
Working Washington, a Seattle-based organization that started protests to raise the minimum wage in 2013, organized the day-long event. Protesters began in Bellevue at 6 a.m. before arriving in Aberdeen shortly before 11. Demonstrations in Kent and Olympia were also planned for the day, with workers planning to speak at the Capitol building later in the day.
The Seattle City Council unanimously voted to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 dollars in June, phasing in the pay raise over a period of three years. Wednesday’s march in Aberdeen comes right after Chicago decided to raise its minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2019.
Demonstrators with megaphones and signs that read “Fight for fifteen” convened at the Olympic Gateway Plaza in east Aberdeen shortly before 11 a.m. The group marched in front of McDonald’s and Wal-Mart chanting, “What do we want? 15. When do we want it? Now,” before making their way across Wishkah Street to picket in front of Starbucks and Taco Bell.
Austin Welsch, a server at Olive Garden in Olympia, said he took part in the protests as a way to fight for economic equality.
“I believe that anybody in America should be able to feed themselves and their family,” he said.
Welsch said he has worked at Olive Garden for seven years and has not received a raise.
Nathan Ward, who works at Taco Bell in Aberdeen, observed the protest but chose not to participate. Ward feared that his involvement might cause a rift between himself and his boss.
“I felt like it would be better to do something like this (observe) than go to war with my boss,” he said. Even though he didn’t physically take part in the march, Ward agrees that low-wage workers need higher pay in order to live comfortably. Ward makes $9.50 an hour and said it his quality of life would be greatly increased if the state passed a $15 minimum wage law.
“I have $6,000 in collections right now from medical bills. At least half of that would be gone right now (if minimum wage went up). I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I wouldn’t have to struggle to eat every month and I could actually pay my bills on time. I don’t think we should stand for this anymore,” he said.
Workers young and old were a part of the rally, including 72-year-old Sharon Kitchel, a homecare worker from Olympia. Kitchel said it’s not only teenagers who are looking for work in low-wage industries.
“It isn’t just a young person’s job anymore. There are people out there who are my age looking for work in fast food,” she said.
Kitchel said what she makes isn’t enough for her to get by on.
Jon Martin, Director of Operations for five McDonald’s locations in the Harbor, said he didn’t mind the protest, but wasn’t sure if an increase in workers’ wages would do as much good as some think. Martin said the discussion is very much a multi-faceted issue.
“Talking points are easy, and it sounds good, but there is a lot of stuff that needs to go on,” he said.
Even though Martin wasn’t exactly sold on the idea, he still appreciated the demonstration’s display of democracy at work.
“I think it’s great we live in America and that it’s important to put your sign up and state what your opinion is. (The protesters) didn’t impact business and were polite,” he said.
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