“As the country’s second-largest employer, McDonald’s has a responsibility to set standards in both the fast-food industry and the economy overall,” Kendall Fells, organizing director of the Fight for $15, said in a statement. “Cooks and cashiers are going to keep on joining together, speaking out and taking every step possible to make sure McDonald’s follows its own policies and gets sexual harassment off of the menu.”
One of the plaintiffs, a cashier named C.C. Monet at a store in Flint, Michigan, told ThinkProgress of her ordeal. She said that her shift manager “proved to be a predator of sexual harassment, and he sexually harassed me daily.”
She detailed how the manager would rub his genitals against her or try to grab her from behind when he walked by, even telling her that he wanted to “do things” to her.
“I honestly felt sick, angry, defenseless,” she said.
She went above her store management and complained to corporate, but still nothing was done.
She quit, and on Wednesday announced that she is one of the 15 people taking legal action against the corporation.
In solidarity, workers around the country have announced a wave of lunch-time protests at restaurants in 36 cities on Thursday. They will be holding signs that read “McDonald’s, I’m Not on the Menu” and “McDonald’s, Put Some Respect in My Check.”
McDonald’s has stated that they are reviewing the allegations.
“At McDonald’s, we and our independent owner-operators share a deep commitment to the respectful treatment of everyone. There is no place for harassment and discrimination of any kind in McDonald’s restaurants or in any workplace. We take any concerns seriously and are reviewing the allegations,” company spokeswoman Terri Hickey said in a statement.
