US McDonald's workers strike to protest workplace harassment

McDonald’s workers in 12 U.S. cities have walked off the job to protest what they say is an ongoing problem of sexual harassment and violence in the company’s stores

McDonald’s workers in 12 U.S. cities walked off the job Tuesday to protest what they say is an ongoing problem of sexual harassment and violence in the company’s stores.

Several hundred workers were expected to participate in Chicago, Houston, Miami, Detroit and other cities, according to Fight for $15 and a Union, a labor group that organized the strikes.

This is the fifth time since 2018 that McDonald’s workers have struck the company over what they say are inadequate efforts to stop sexual harassment in its stores. At least 50 workers have filed charges against McDonald’s alleging verbal and physical harassment over the last five years.

In April, McDonald’s announced it would require sexual harassment training, reporting procedures for complaints and annual employee surveys at its 40,000 stores worldwide starting in January 2022.