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Black Youth Project 100 Chicago to Rally for Black Fast Food Workers on Wednesday, April 15


Demands include fair wages, union rights for Black workers

CHICAGO –(ENEWSPF)-April 14, 2015. On Wednesday, April 15, The Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) Chicago Chapter will join the nation’s largest low-wage worker mobilization effort in history. In coordination with the Fight for $15 national day of action, BYP100 will host a public rally of Black fast food workers and their allies to amplify the experiences of Black fast food workers and demand large, profitable fast food corporations like McDonald’s pay their employees a fair wage of at least $15 an hour and allow their workers to form a union without retaliation.

Low wage work and lack of access to union rights is a national problem, but presents a unique challenge to Black workers. Black people are over-represented in low wage work throughout the United States, and are disproportionately impacted by falling wages and lack of access to union rights. In 2011, 36 percent of Blacks, and 38 percent of Black women were employed in low wage jobs. Locally, 46 percent of Black Chicagoans are employed in low wage jobs. All workers deserve a living wage and access to collective bargaining rights. However, big corporate powers like McDonald’s are busy profiting billions while their workers struggle to pay their rent and support their families.

BYP100 released a short video that focuses on the importance of economic justice for Black low wage workers. Click here to view the video.

The rally demanding fair wages and the right to a union for Black fast food workers and other low wage workers in solidarity with Fight for $15’s national day of action will take place on Wednesday, April 15 at 4 p.m. (Central time) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, 601 S. Morgan Street, Chicago.

*NOTE: The rally will be preceded by pre-rally event at 800 S. Halsted. Participants will then march to University of Illinois at Chicago for rally.

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Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) is an activist member-based organization of Black 18-35 year olds, dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. We do this through building a network focused on transformative leadership development, direct action organizing, advocacy and education using a Black queer feminist lens. We are an organization affiliated with the Black Youth Project.

Source: Black Youth Project 100


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