Sanders: We must all stand with striking McDonald’s workers

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Friday issued his support for McDonald’s employees who are planning to strike later this month, saying that “we all must stand” with workers trying to address problems related to sexual misconduct.

“Every single worker in this country has a right to a safe workplace where they will not be harassed, assaulted or punished for speaking up,” Sanders tweeted, linking to an article from Vox that lays out why women at McDonald’s are going on strike on Sept. 18.

“We all must stand with the McDonald’s workers who are bravely fighting back.”

Every single worker in this country has a right to a safe workplace where they will not be harassed, assaulted or punished for speaking up. We all must stand with the McDonald’s workers who are bravely fighting back. https://t.co/iH1FIUjKUo

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 14, 2018

The Vox story cites an Associated Press article reporting that women who work at McDonald’s are planning a one-day strike next week in 10 cities in an attempt to pressure the organization to address sexual harassment in the workplace.

{mosads}Organizers of the protest told AP that the demonstration will be the first multi-state strike that targets sexual harassment. 

The planners include women who accused McDonald’s of having a culture of pervasive harassment in complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year.

The protests will reportedly take place in cities such as Chicago; Durham, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; and San Francisco.

In response to these plans, McDonald’s has defended the policies it currently has in place to address harassment. 

“We have policies, procedures and training in place that are specifically designed to prevent sexual harassment at our company and company-owned restaurants, and we firmly believe that our franchisees share this commitment,” McDonalds said in a statement to AP.

The strike on Sept. 18 will come as union-backed organizations continue to put pressure on the fast-food chain for better working conditions and a $15 per hour wage.