Below is an email from Joshua Williams, a Wendy's employee in New York City who created a petition onSignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition.
Dear MoveOn member,
By lunch time, the CEO of Wendy's will have earned more than $11,009.95. That's more than I take home in a year as a regular Wendy's employee.1
That's why I joined hundreds of fast food workers in NY and walked out of the Wendy's at 125th and Lexington in New York City to demand higher wages and the right to form a union.
Despite the stereotype, most of us are not teenagers working after school. We're grown adults with kids of our own and bills to pay. Many have worked in fast food for years and never received a raise from $7.25 an hour while the companies we work for make massive profits.
Going on strike is a big deal for folks like me—and to win we need the support of the general public. That's why I created a petition on SignOn.organd hope you'll sign and share it with your friends.
If we can get 50,000 people to sign the petition by our Day of Solidarity on December 6th, we'll hand-deliver your signatures to the CEOs at their headquarters all over the country. We know this is a David vs Goliath battle—workers against a $200 billion industry—but we can win if Americans from all walks of life stand in solidarity with us.
I am only one of more than 50,000 New Yorkers working in the fast food industry. With average annual incomes as low as $11,000, many fast food workers must turn to public assistance to make ends meet. We are striking because we believe fast food companies should pay workers enough to be able to pay for basic needs like food, clothing, and rent.
Companies like McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Pizza Hut reap huge profits and shower CEOs with exorbitant compensation, while many of their employees qualify for food stamps—and it's time to do something about it.
Don't stand for the minimum wage. Stand for something greater. Sign the petition today.
Thanks!
–Joshua Williams
1. Emile Brolick earned $4,580,146 in 2011. Assuming a 40 hour work week, this breaks down to $2,201/hr. Joshua took home $10,920.
This petition was created onSignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Joshua Williams didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.orglist.
