On October 26, fast food workers in 12 cities across the U.S. struck to demand an end to sexual harassment and gender-based violence in the company’s 40,000+ stores globally. While in April McDonald’s corporation announced a company-wide set of global brand standards to combat sexual harassment, there was no mention of workers or union consultation, an “essential element” according to both ILO conventions 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work and 155 on occupational safety and health.
- Workers at McDonald’s have struck 5 times since 2018, and filed over 50 harassment complaints, to demand action to combat widespread sexual harassment and gender-based violence
- Recently a 14-year old worker in Pennsylvania was assaulted and raped by a manager who was a registered sex offender at the time he was hired as a store manager
- McDonald’s announcement of the global brand standard comes after immense pressure from workers and their unions to act including the IUF’s filing of an OECD complaint together with EFFAT and IUF affiliate SEIU
As Adriana Alvarez, a McDonald’s worker & activist, said, “I’m on strike today because we need McDonald’s to realize that we’re not going to stop. What needs to stop is sexual harassment. It’s unfair to these workers, making close to poverty wages, and then on top of that to have to worry about being sexually harassed on the job.”
