Workers Walk Out At Flatbush Burger King For National Week Of Strikes

This morning at 8am, Burger King employees from the store at 971 Flatbush Avenue (on the corner of Albemarle) and New York Communities for Change helped kick off a day of strikes across the city for better wages and the right to unionize without retaliation.

In addition to NYC, strikes are being held this week in Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, Kansas City, and Chicago, among others.

Tallant Williams, who has worked at the 971 Flatbush Burger King for five years, was the first one of his location’s employees standing outside. “I’m walking out today because I need the money,” he said. “I work 40 hours a week and I make $7.75 an hour. After all this time.”

Tallant echoes the sentiments of several New York fast food workers at last week’s rally at Grand Army Plaza. “We can’t survive on $7.25” was a common chant at both demonstrations, and the slogan of Fast Food Forward, a group participating in the campaign for low-wage workers’ rights.

Speakers at the Grand Army Plaza event talked about their inability to pay bills, rent, and childcare expenses on the current state minimum wage. This week, they’re rallying for a living wage of $15 an hour.

As today’s protest went on, more of Tallant’s coworkers walked out of the store to applause. Trucks, vans, and buses honked in support as they drove by. Councilmember Eugene was also on hand, praising NYCC leaders and supporting workers’ desire to unionize.

“You’re not only doing the right thing for hard-working people,” he said. “You’re doing the right thing for New York, and for America. You are making a better life for us, and for our children.”

Fast food workers from across the borough will be joining forces at noon today outside the Wendy’s at 425 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn, and at 3pm, workers from all over the city will meet in Union Square.