Over 1,000 fast food workers and their supporters filled the Auckland Town Hall on February 12, to give added impetus to the SuperSizeMyPay.Com campaign and to other low paid workers campaigns.
The SuperSizeMyPay.Com fast food campaign is being spearheaded by the Unite Union but is supported by the wider union movement and a broad range of community groups.
Amy Valk, a 19-year-old worker from McDonald’s Glenfield Rd, said after the meeting that it was "awesome that we are not alone and the community supports us. It is rid-iculous how much wages had been slashed since the 1980s and we will have to take widespread industr-ial action to win our demands. This meeting gives me the confidence that we can strike in my store."
Campaign coordinator Simon Oosterman said the meeting represented a big step forward in community support for these workers. "Low paid and minimum wage workers are challenging some of the largest international companies — McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s and Starbucks — and the more support they can get the stronger our campaign will be", he said.
Unite President Matt McCarten told the meeting that fast food workers’ real wages had halved in the last 20 years — a consequence he blamed on the fact that workers in the fast food industry have not been unionised for a generation. "There comes a time in our lives when we have to make a stand for justice. Today is one of those moments", he said.
Mr Oosterman said that fast-food workers at the meeting voted unanimously to take further action, including industrial action, to support their claims for $12 minimum per hour, an end to youth rates and secure hours of work.
"This action will unfold in coming days while negotiations continue with McDonalds, Restaurant Brands (KFC, Starbucks and Pizzahut) and Burger King. A major day of action across the whole fast-food sector is planned for Saturday March 18 and has been dubbed ‘the Big Pay Out’. This will involve a march up Queen Street and a free concert with supporting artists at Myers Park. A website for the day is already established at www.bigpayout.co.nz", Mr Oosterman concluded.
The Town Hall meeting also threw its support behind Green MP Sue Bradford’s private member’s bill to abolish youth rates which is due to be debated in parliament on February 22.
Since the Town Hall meeting, workers at two Starbucks stores in Auckland held two-hour stoppages. There has been a protest outside Whangarei KFC, including past and present KFC workers.
McDonalds threatened to sue workers who took part in union actions. "Workers in New Zealand have every right to join a union and participate in its democratic processes", said Ross Wilson, President of the NZCouncil of Trade Unions. "For McDonalds to threaten staff with legal action for participating in their union’s campaigns such as SuperSizeMyPay.Com for decent wages and conditions is an unnecessary overreaction."
McDonalds have since backed down on their threats.
