San Diego fast food workers rallied for a $15 hourly wage outside a Pacific Beach McDonald's on Monday afternoon.
The workers were supporting fellow fast food employees in New York, who asked that state's wage board to boost their pay. New York workers gave their final public testimony to the board, which is expected to make a decision by the end of the year.
San Diego workers, like McDonald's employee Amadi Itzhaki, also want that $15 rate.
"This is just the beginning. We're still in the process," Itzhaki said. "And we're attacking city by city, state by state. Even official government leaders are starting to get into this movement because they see how big of an impact this movement has."
Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco have already approved $15 minimum wages. New York could be the first state to adopt the standard.
Mickey Kasparian, president of the United Food and Commercial Worker's Union, Local 135, said the idea is catching on.
"These municipalities started to go for increases in the minimum wage because, quite frankly, the federal government and the states are not doing a good job," Kasparian said. "I think people started to realize we need to be on board, not only in fast food, but in the retail sector, in hospitality and in health care. So I think it's kind of like a movement's developed."
Unions began calling on the fast food industry to raise the minimum wage two years ago.
There have been a number of marches and protests in San Diego calling for wage hikes.
