McDonald’s is retaliating against former workers.
Demand McDonald’s address the harm it poses to Black employees.
Dear friend,
McDonald’s supersizes a toxic culture for Black workers. Last week three Black workers were fired for speaking out against the lack of hazard pay and coronavirus safety measures. This comes on the heels of a lawsuit from 50 Black former franchisees after McDonald’s redlined their stores. To make a bad situation worse, McDonald’s is facing mounting and ongoing sexual assault and harassment lawsuits. As McDonald’s tries to partner with Black artists, Black workers at McDonald’s stores across the country face a hostile workplace and job insecurity if they speak up about it.
The three workers, including an elderly woman named Ms. DeeDee, were fired in a retaliation attempt for demanding hazard pay for heightened risk and exposure to COVID. The workers, mostly women, decided to put their livelihoods on the line because McDonald’s, the second-largest fast-food retailer in the world doesn’t believe that the demands of women and low-wage workers are worth caring about. Ms. DeeDee and the others simply wanted what would be the minimum wage (if kept with inflation) and protective COVID gear.
The 50 former Black franchisees asked the chain to better support its stores. From updated renovations to increased revenue, the franchise owners asked the company to materialize its “partnership values” and the company simply did not. Instead, it let Black-led McDonald’s franchise stores fall behind revenue, an average of $700,000 less than white franchise stores and, as a result, deal with a higher turnover rate.1 The number of Black McDonald’s franchisee stores decreased dramatically from 377 in 1998 to 186 this year.2,3 As the company tries to rebrand itself as “for the culture,” it would be better served protecting its Black partners.
The way McDonald’s treats its employees is why we’re speaking out about it. This corporation is responsible for harms ranging from wage theft, paid sick leave refusal, and workplace retaliation. McDonald’s is being called out about the way it treats our folks so it’s trying to scapegoat Black culture to pivot away from its many harms. This company can’t support Black culture if it doesn’t support Black lives. Plain and simple. Dear friend, we’ve only made three points, but…
Until justice is real,
Arisha, Jade, Rashad, Johnny, Amanda, Evan, Imani, Marie, Samantha, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, Eesha, Jennette, Ciera, Gabrielle, Taurjhai, Stasia, and the rest of the Color Of Change team.
References :
- “Black Former Mcdonald’s Franchisees are Suing Over Discrimination Accusations,” Marketplace, September 1, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/275339?t=9&akid=47506%2E1942551%2EQB9WX7
- “Black Ex-Franchisees File Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against McDonald’s,” Forbes, September 1, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/275340?t=11&akid=47506%2E1942551%2EQB9WX7
- “More Than 50 Former Black Franchisees Allege Racial Discriminatory Practices Against McDonald's in New Federal Lawsuit,” USA Today, September 1, 2020, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/275342?t=13&akid=47506%2E1942551%2EQB9
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please help keep our movement strong.
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