McDonald’s Workers Are Striking Over Continued Sexual Harassment Issues - Forbes

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Topline

McDonald’s employees in at least 10 cities across the U.S. walked out of the job Tuesday in response to how the fast food giant handles sexual harassment in the workplace—marking years of tumult over what workers say is an inadequate response to continued problems with sexual violence in stores.

Key Facts

Hundreds of workers in cities including Chicago, Detroit, Houston and Miami walked out of McDonald’s stores, out of a workforce of 2 million, according to videos posted by the organizing group, Fight for 15.

Tuesday’s strike stems from a lawsuit filed last month by the parents of a 14-year-old McDonald’s employee in the Pittsburgh area who alleges the girl was raped by a manager who had previously served time in prison for assaulting a 10-year-old girl.

The manager was arrested in April after a different employee told school administrators that she had been assaulted, and he was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison last week, the Associated Press reports.

Tuesday’s demonstration marks the fifth time in recent years McDonald’s workers have gone on strike over sexual violence claims in stores, according to organizers.

In April, McDonald’s announced that it would require all employees who work in 39,000 stores across the world to complete training to combat workplace harassment and violence.

In a statement to Forbes, McDonald’s said every employee deserves to “feel safe and respected when they come to work” and that “sexual harassment and assault have no place in any McDonald’s restaurant.”

Chief Critic

Last year, McDonald’s workers filed a sexual harassment class-action lawsuit representing female employees at over 100 corporate-owned locations in Florida, asking for over $500 million in damages. Jamelia Fairley, one of the plaintiffs and current McDonald’s employee, said in a statement to Vice that she’s going on strike Tuesday because “McDonald’s still refuses to take responsibility for the countless women and teenagers who face harassment on the job at its stores across the globe.”

Surprising Fact

The first multi-state strike against sexual harassment in the United States occurred when McDonald’s employees walked off the job in 2018, Vice reports.

Tangent

McDonald’s sued former CEO Steve Easterbrook last year and accused him of having sexual relationships with staff employees. The suit alleged that Easterbrook lied to the company, hid evidence and engaged in fraud based upon his behavior. In a statement at the time of the lawsuit, he admitted to being in a consensual relationship with an employee, which “violated McDonald's policy.” “This was a mistake, he said. “Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on.