Fast food workers set to strike this Thursday

One year after their first strike action, some city fast food workers are today expected to again walk off their jobs in a continued push for a $15 minimum wage and the right to unionize without retaliation.

New York is one of now 100 cities participating in the push to goad fast food companies to hike pay and improve the working conditions for cashiers, cooks, food prep workers and supervisors.

"I don't know how you can survive in NYC," without making at least $15 an hour, said Shenita Simon, 26, a KFC supervisor from Brownsville who plans to walk a picket line today. Simon, a volunteer spokeswoman with Fast Food Forward, said the previous job actions have already resulted in improvements.

"We got people's jobs back, we got new equipment for certain stores and some people have gotten little 25 and 50-cent raises ... Workers are getting respect and dignity,” she said.

Aneudy Garcia, 27, a McDonald’s worker from Cypress, the Bronx, won’t be participating. “I don’t support them: I don’t think it’s reasonable for them to want that much,” said Garcia, adding that a base wage of $9 or $10 an hour seemed more sensible. Garcia said he earns the “regular” wage.

The minimum wage in New York State is scheduled to go from $7.25 to $8 an hour on Dec. 31, eventually rising to $9 by Dec. 31, 2015.