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Durham McDonald's workers fighting for higher pay 12 years after last hike in minimum wage

McDonald's employees in Durham are once again uniting to fight for a boost in pay.

Posted Updated

By
Michelle Mackonochie
, WRAL anchor/reporter
DURHAM, N.C. — McDonald's employees in Durham are once again uniting to fight for a boost in pay.

Employees are protesting 12 years of no increase in the federal minimum wage at the restaurant on Apex Highway in Durham. The wage has been stagnant for more than a decade, moving to $7.25 per-hour in July 2009.

McDonald's announced it was raising pay for a small percentage of staff earlier this year at its corporate-owned restaurants, which make up just 5% of its US stores.

The employees aren't just calling out McDonald's. They're calling on big names in fast-food like Wendy's and Burger King as well to raise the minimum pay. The workers want the chains to pay their workers $15 an hour. Groups like NC Raise Up helped organize the event.

A rally from back in May saw dozens of workers walk off the job at the McDonald's on Guess Road in Durham as part of a nationwide effort to press the fast-food chain to increase wages. McDonald's workers in Fayetteville also joined in the strike.

A worker at Biscuitville told WRAL that he doesn't get paid enough to support his family.

"We're being trained to do what y'all tell us to do," Nah'shon Blount said. "But we're not getting paid to do what y'all expect us to do."

The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association told WRAL that many restaurants in the state are experiencing problems filling out staff in recent months.

Rallies are also set to take place at McDonald's in Charlotte and Marion. The rally begins at noon on Tuesday.

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