Fast-food workers walked off their jobs in dozens of cities on Thursday, demanding a $15-an-hour minimum wage.
Fast food workers in at least 33 countries and 80 cities on six continents will join their U.S.-based counterparts, for an expected 230 strikes and protests worldwide, from Manila to Manhattan.
In the United States, strikes are expected throughout the country from Los Angeles to Raleigh. When Seattle's mayor proposed a $15 minimum wage earlier this month, Businessweek said he was "adopting the rallying cry of fast-food workers."
Currently, the median pay for fast-food workers is just over $9 an hour, or about $18,500 a year. That's roughly $4,500 lower than the Census Bureau's poverty threshold level of $23,000 for a family of four.
Union organizers say the movement is credited with elevating the debate about inequality in the U.S. and helping raise the minimum wage in some states, according to CNN.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, McDonald's said worker protests might force it to raise wages this year.
