The fight for higher wages is nothing new and neither is the corporate desire to increase profits by cutting costs, including labor, but the Fight for $15 movement has thrown the issue of income equality into sharp focus.
This week, fast-food workers across the nation rallied for higher wages as part of the Fight for $15 protest movement and McDonald's responded by introducing a new self-serve kiosk that promises to cut jobs.
As the American economy prepares to lose millions of jobs to machines in the coming years, the subject of income equality and the growing gap between the rich and poor promises to become a major issue.
This week's fast-food workers protest drew hundreds of supporters from across the country. Activists came from the ranks of baggage handlers, janitors, health care workers, and other non-unionized workers, as KFC employee Alvin Major told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
"When we started demanding $15 … people thought we were crazy, but we were just demanding the basic minimum to survive. Right now I can barely pay my bills."
