Trabajadores de la Lucha por $15 se Unirán en Protestas en Phoenix

(Featured Photo: “Fight for $15” demonstrators rally in downtown San Diego in November. Credit: Mike Blake/Reuters)

(Phoenix, AZ) – Frente a la audiencia de confirmación en el Senado del magnate de comida rápida Andy Puzder como Secretario de Trabajo de EE.UU., cocineros y cajeros en Phoenix quienes son parte de la Lucha por $15 encabezarán protestas el jueves en un Carl’s Jr. local como parte de una ola de acciones a nivel nacional para denunciar el nombramiento del CEO quien es un símbolo de la misma economía amañada que Donald Trump prometió arreglar. 

Trabajadores de Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, y otros trabajadores mal pagados de costa a costa se manifestaran en contra de Puzder, quien como CEO de los Restaurantes CKE presidió sobre compañías que robaron salarios a trabajadores, violaron leyes de tiempo extra y obligaron a los empleados a solicitar asistencia pública.

La protesta en Phoenix es una de dos docenas planeadas de costa a costa este jueves antes de la audiencia de confirmación de Puzder que pudiera tener lugar la próxima semana. Los trabajadores llevaran letreros que se leerán “No soy un robot y sí, demandaré si soy acosado(a) sexualmente” y “Andy Puzder gana más en un día que lo que yo gano en todo un año.” En una entrevista el año pasado, Puzder dijo que prefiere a las máquinas a los trabajadores debido a que las máquinas “nunca toman vacaciones, nunca llegan tarde, nunca hay demandas por caídas, o casos de discriminación por edad, sexo o raza.” 

Detalles

Protesta Censurando al CEO de la Comida Rápida como Candidato para la Secretaria de Trabajo de EE.UU.

Fecha: Mediodía, jueves 12 de enero de 2017

Locación: 

Carl’s Jr.

2342 E. Thomas Road

Phoenix, AZ

Background:

According to CKE’s financial disclosures, Puzder, who is the fast-food company’s CEO, was paid between $4 million and $10 million in recent years, which means he makes more in one day than he pays his minimum wage workers in one year. Despite this, he has been an outspoken opponent of minimum wage hikes that would allow his workers to meet their basic needs. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found in 2013 that fast-food CEOs like Puzder cost taxpayers $7.3 billion per year in public assistance by holding down pay for their employees.

Puzder has also opposed basic protections and workers’ rights, like meal and rest breaks for employees working long hours. Puzder has also supported repealing the Affordable Care Act and cuts to Medicaid, even while he forces his own workers to rely on these programs by denying them health care.

As labor secretary, Puzder would be charged with upholding many of the labor laws and regulations CKE routinely violated during his time as CEO. In 60 percent of Department of Labor investigations since 2009, CKE restaurants and franchises were found to have violated wage and hour laws. Since Puzder became CEO of CKE in 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which falls under the DOL, has found 98 safety violations at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s locations, with 36 of them capable of causing death or grave physical harm.

Puzder’s confirmation battle follows an election defined by workers’ frustration with a rigged economy that benefits the few at the top, and after a banner year in the fight for $15/hr and union rights. Nineteen states raised pay for 4.3 million working people at the end of 2016, including in four states where voters approved minimum wage ballot initiatives on Election Day 2016. In the four states, “yes” votes exceeded the vote totals for either of the major parties’ presidential candidates – striking proof of the broad public support for raising wages across party lines and in different regions of the country. The New Yorkerrecently hailed its successes as one of  the five biggest business stories of 2016.

Since fast-food workers  launched the Fight for $15 over four years ago, the movement has won wage hikes for 22 million underpaid workers, including more than 10 million who are on their way to $15/hour, by convincing everyone from voters to politicians to corporations to raise pay. The movement, which has resulted in $62 billion raises for America’s workers, was credited as one of the reasons median income jumped last year by the highest percentage since the 1960s.