July 22nd 2023.
Two McDonald's locations have gone on strike within a day of each other, alleging that the franchise locations would rather let the employees work in temperatures over 100 degrees than provide them with air conditioning.
In East Los Angeles, McDonald's employees went on strike and filed an OSHA complaint following the death of a co-worker. According to ABC 7, Bertha Montes had been forced to work for three hours while visibly sick, despite having asked her manager to go home.
Meanwhile, in Houston, McDonald's workers walked out after the air conditioning unit at their restaurant broke. With temperatures reaching above 100 degrees, the Houston Chronicle reported that employees at the Almeda-Genoa location were working in the heat before they walked out. Gloria Machuca, one of the workers, explained her decision to the Chronicle: "I didn't want to suffer the consequences from the heat, which would be worse. I told my co-worker not to be afraid because our health comes first."
The strikes have been met with a wave of social media attention. On July 21, 2023, Fight for $15 LA tweeted: "We're reminding our bosses who has the power." This sentiment is echoed across the country as workers in multiple industries are putting pressure on their employers in an effort to secure better working conditions and greater benefits.
The Service Employees International Union has said that it is now up to state agencies to investigate the employees' allegations regarding their working conditions. In Houston, the city's Health Department has voiced its support for Machuca, stating that the law requires food establishments to have air conditioning during the summer. Machuca has said that she will return to work on Friday, July 21st, provided the air conditioning unit has been repaired.
These labor disputes come amid a wave of strikes and labor-related conversations that are embroiling the national consciousness in debates around the value of labor. From Amazon delivery drivers joining the Teamsters strike of UPS, to teachers striking across the country, labor movements are taking center stage this summer. It is clear that workers are using their collective power to fight for better working conditions and greater benefits.
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