Tuesday, November 29, 2016

40 people arrested in Los Angeles as workers join day of protest for higher wages and unionization

 
 
begin quote from:
About 40 people were arrested Tuesday morning during a protest calling for a higher nationwide minimum wage …

About 600 people protest at LAX for higher wages and a union

About 600 people marched through Los Angeles International Airport and surrounding streets Tuesday afternoon as part of a wider, union-backed call for higher pay and representation for low-wage workers.
The group, which included airport workers as well as child care, healthcare and fast-food workers, met in front of the airport around noon at Century and Sepulveda boulevards before marching through the airport and into some of the terminals.
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Protesters chanted and held signs that said “Airport Workers United” as passengers looked on and took photos.
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The peaceful demonstration lasted about an hour and police said no arrests were made. LAX officials said no service was disrupted, though traffic slowed in front of some terminals.
The protest was part of a nationwide “Fight for $15” day of disruption that commemorated the fourth anniversary of a campaign that sparked efforts to raise the minimum wage in several cities and states. A major backer of the campaign is the Service Employees International Union.
Earlier Tuesday morning, about 40 people were arrested after refusing the LAPD’s call to disperse from an intersection near downtown Los Angeles. They were among a larger peaceful demonstration of more than 200 people outside a McDonald’s at East 7th and Alameda streets.
The protesters will be cited and released as long as they have identification and there are no warrants for their arrest, Officer Liliana Preciado said.
About 25 people in New York were arrested during a similar protest Tuesday morning.
The L.A. City Council and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors already approved a law that would raise the Los Angeles minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. Earlier this year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that will gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022.
Workers at the McDonald’s protest said they were fighting for a union, as well as to call attention to lower minimum wages in other states.
“We’re here because it’s not only in California that we need a livable wage,” said Anggie Godoy, 21, who has worked at the McDonald’s on Alameda Street for almost three years. “We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing until we get $15 and union rights all across the country.”
 

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