Fast-food strike announced in Greensboro

Fast-food workers in Greensboro will join a nationwide strike tomorrow calling for higher wages, according to a press release. Organizers say the strike — that will span 50 cities including Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte —will be the biggest ever to hit the fast-food industry.

Workers at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Little Caesars, Taco Bell, KFC and Bojangles will walk off their jobs in the four North Carolina cities. In Greensboro, workers and supporters will gather at 11:30 a.m. at 2606 Battleground Ave, next to a Taco Bell and in sight of a Wendy's. [An earlier flyer, left, says 2600 Battleground, but the press release this morning was more specific and listed 2606.]

The one-day action draws on fast food strikes in seven cities earlier this summer and is also a call for the right to form a union "without retaliation or unfair labor practices." It's already a federal right, but labor lawyers, workers and organizers say companies often violate the law with impunity.

The NC Raise Up campaign is calling for a $15/hour wage, a significant increase from the average fast-food wage in the state but still a far cry from a living wage, the release said.

Stay posted for more coverage from Alex Ashe and Eric Ginsburg.

UPDATE: Read this short article about one Taco Bell worker's reasons for participating in the Greensboro strike.