Michigan Fight For $15 Targets McDonald’s, Nursing Homes

April 17, 2016
By Steven Wishnia and Neal Tepel  

Detroit, – Michigan’s Fight for $15 campaign took the struggle for a viable minimum wage to multiple McDonald’s and nursing homes around the state April 14. In Highland Park, a small city inside Detroit, about 60 people marched outside a McDonald’s at 6 in the morning. "I am a 16-year employee.

I have been working here, coming faithfully to love and care for these residents and we still don't have a contract,” Detroit nursing-home worker Deborah Smith told WJBK-TV. “We've been fighting for a contract for the last two years; we haven't had a raise in the last five years and we're just sick and tired of it.” Other protests took place in Detroit, a suburb of Flint, Muskegon,  and Saginaw. “Places like the Joe’s Crab Shack have raised theirs to $14 an hour, $15 an hour,” said Pastor W.J. Rideout, who helped organize the Highland Park rally. We’re looking at Walmart has raised theirs up some. So, we know that very soon here at McDonald’s and Burger King and the like, franchises are going to raise theirs up, too.” Michigan’s minimum wage is $8.50 an hour and will reach $9.25 in 2018. Read more