Fast-food restaurant employees, security guards and other workers conducted strikes and held rallies Wednesday in San Diego in their effort to gain a $15-an-hour wage.
Organizers with Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West said adjunct professors, home care workers, Walmart employees and others joined in the job actions.
Tax day was chosen because many of the workers make so little money that they rely on government assistance to get by, according to the union. Strikes and rallies were set to take place in 200 U.S. cities.
The local job actions began at a McDonald's restaurant in North Park. The chain recently raised its workers' pay by $1 an hour, but the union said it wasn't nearly enough.
"It can be stressful, there's times I have to choose between my rent, my gas and electric bill, or my phone bill," a young mother told CBS8 at the McDonald's rally.
The McDonald's San Diego County Owner/Operators Association issued the following statement:
"At McDonald's, we offer part-time and full-time employment, benefits, and set competitive wages based on the local marketplace, job level, as well as local and federal laws. We respect people's right to peacefully protest and we continue to focus on providing an exceptional experience for our customers."
Other demonstrations were held by security guards in downtown San Diego at Symphony Towers, a Sonic Drive-in in North Park, and the the City Heights/Weingart Library, 3795 Fairmount Ave.
Two afternoon events are scheduled to take place at San Diego State University. At 3:30 p.m., home care workers will rally on Campanile Mall, between the Music Building and Open Air Theatre. At 4:30 p.m., a rally will be held for all types of workers on the Scripps Lawn near Hepner Hall.
Fast-food workers began calling for hourly pay of $15 more than two years ago in New York City. Since then, a minimum wage of $15 an hour has been adopted in cities like Portland, San Francisco and Seattle.
In San Diego, an effort to enact a minimum wage of $11.50 was derailed when business groups collected enough petition signatures to force the issue to the ballot. A public vote is likely next year.
