Fast food and home healthcare workers took to the streets of Hartford Thursday as part of a nationwide protest for higher wages.
“We want to raise people’s awareness about what’s going on and that everybody deserves to make higher wages for the work that we do” said Sandy Bellino, a home healthcare worker.
In Connecticut, the minimum is currently hovering around $8 an hour, above the national average, but by 2017, Connecticut will mandate that to increase to $10.10 per hour.
“It’s a great start” said Jo-Ann Gesterling who’s worked for a Wendy’s franchise for six years.
“The thing is we need a living wage. $10 an hour doesn’t cover what it should. We’re falling short by far, not by a couple dollars a week.”
Protesters called for an increase to $15 per hour. They say they deserve to be paid more for their work.
“This is a decent paid state, one of the highest paid states in the country, one of the top highest paid states in the country, so at least what you can do is raise healthcare workers, fast food, pay it to fifteen dollars” said Keisha Barnes. “We deserve it.”
Burger King and McDonald’s both released statements on the protests.
McDonald’s said, "We believe that any increase needs to be considered in a broad context, one that considers, for example, the impact of the Affordable Care Act and its definition of “full time” employment, as well as the treatment, from a tax perspective, of investments made by businesses owners."
Burger King Corporation’s statement read, “"Burger King Corporation and the franchisees who independently own and operate almost 100 percent of Burger King restaurants support and invest in the thousands of restaurant team members across the system."
Both companies pointed out that in many cases it is the franchise owners that dictate what to pay their employees and not the corporate offices.
