By Joe Prezioso and Seth Daniel
On Friday, April 15, a substantial crowd gathered at the State House on Beacon Hill, with Chelsea sending a robust representation among thousands from across Massachusetts. The demonstration centered on a push for a $15 minimum wage statewide.
Two establishments became targets of the march that followed from the State House to Downtown Crossing: McCormick & Schmick’s and McDonald’s, both cited in protest materials as major examples of what organizers termed “fblikebutton_button” “purveyors of poverty wages and poor working conditions.”
The Chelsea Collaborative, led by Gladys Vega and her staff, transported activists via bus to participate in the rally that drew state and local officials alongside thousands of workers demanding wage increases. Vega rallied the crowd with a call-and-response chant from her bullhorn.
“What do we want?” Vega shouted.
“$15,” the crowd of thousands answered back.
“When do we want it?” she asked.
“Now,” they yelled.
Currently sitting at $10 after a January 1 increase, Massachusetts’s minimum wage is scheduled by law to reach $11 on Jan. 1, 2017. Yet recent developments in neighboring states have shifted the landscape: California recently enacted a $15 minimum wage law, with New York state poised to follow suit imminently. These moves have intensified the pressure on Massachusetts to accelerate its timeline, fueling the ‘Fight for $15’ movement that has maintained momentum throughout the state for several years.
Workers from both McDonald’s and McCormick and Schmicks participated, including a Chelsea woman employed at the latter who described workplace harassment. According to her account, she lost her position after raising complaints about the harassment despite earning minimum wage.
Airport workers also took the podium before the State House, explaining their status as contractors employed by private companies serving airlines. These workers emphasized their role as first-contact points for arriving and departing passengers, arguing this warranted higher compensation.
Among those voicing support was Saritin Rizzuto, a Chelsea business leader and state representative candidate in Lynn and Saugus. She explained her commitment to the cause: “fblikebutton_button” “I’m not a typical politician. I don’t consider myself a politician. I think I am a person of the people and for the people, which explains why I am here supporting this cause and supporting the people for their fare wage. I worked many minimum wage jobs and my children actually work minimum wage jobs now. They are 23 and 25. So I am here for them and all these people.”
State Sen. Dan Wolf, CEO of Cape Air, announced his airline’s commitment to a $15 minimum wage floor and called upon all airport-related businesses to follow suit. “fblikebutton_button” “We are the richest country in the history of the world,” Wolf stated. “People who are able to work full time should be able to support a family with dignity. In my other life, I am the CEO of an airline. So when I stand down there and hear the liars up there, thats me, that the greedy CEO’s of the airlines, and thats me, I think I have some serious stuff to get done. My airline has pledged to get to $15 an hour.”
Lynn City Councillor Brian LaPierre joined protesters at the State House, marching and chanting alongside them in solidarity. He described the turnout: “fblikebutton_button” “We have a full bus from Lynn, there’s about 50, but they are coming from across the state. There are over 20 busses, probably a couple thousand folks in total. The goal of this event and rally is for 3,000 individuals to be here fighting for $15 an hour.”
According to LaPierre, Lynn’s wage challenges center primarily on the fast-food sector. “fblikebutton_button” “It is like your Dunkin Donuts, your Burger Kings, McDonald’s, Wendy’s variety,” he noted. “We don’t have a lot of the big box in effect because we don’t have big chains like Home Depot and Target and such, but the fast food area is really where Lynn could use a boost in its wages.”