Fast-food workers in CT service plazas plan to unionize

The McDonald”™s at Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield. Photo by Phil Hall.

The employees of fast-food outlets located in service plazas along Connecticut”™s highways are planning to become part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

According to a Bloomberg report, the new unionizing push specifically targets the McDonald”™s franchises in those plazas. The SEIU orchestrated the “Fight For $15” campaign to increase the minimum wage for low-income workers and has specifically targeted McDonald’s, which has faced National Labor Relations Board complaints for allegedly pushing back against efforts by its workforce to unionize.

The unionization announcement, which is scheduled for tomorrow, will reportedly include allegations of wage-theft claims against several companies operating in the service plazas. The service plazas are being targeted because the properties fall under government ownership, and the union argued federal oversight would help bolster their efforts.

“The government has a clear responsibility to ensure that anyone they do business with acts as a responsible employer,” said Kyle Bragg, president of 32BJ, the SEIU affiliate organizing in Connecticut. “I think unionization goes hand in hand with that.”