Bronwen Beechey & Grant Morgan, Auckland
History was made on February 12 when 800 fast-food workers and supporters met in the Auckland Town Hall. The meeting was organised by the Unite union, which wants a NZ$12 minimum wage, no youth rates, and regular hours of work.
A number of Unite members walked off the job for two hours despite managers' threats.
A line-up of fast-food job delegates electrified the meeting. They voiced their aims, problems and solutions, setting an example for future union meetings.
Unite president Matt McCarten said: "There comes a time in everyone's lives when we have to make a stand for justice. This is one of those times."
McCarten told the meeting that fast-food workers' real wages had halved in the last 20 years — a consequence he blamed on the fact that workers in the fast-food industry have not been unionised for a generation.
Comedians and musicians entertained the crowd, including NZ Idol Rosita Vai, a former KFC worker. Other speakers included Maori Party MP Pita Sharples, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont, National Distribution Union secretary Laila Harre, Service and Food Workers Union Auckland secretary Lisa Eldret and Greens MP Sue Bradford, who is sponsoring a bill to abolish youth wage rates.
Amy Valk, a 19-year-old worker from McDonald's, said after the meeting that it was "awesome that we are not alone and the community supports us. It is ridiculous how much wages have been slashed since the 1980s and we will have to take widespread industrial action to win our demands. This meeting gives me the confidence that we can strike in my store."
The SuperSizeMyPay.com campaign spearheaded by Unite is supported by the wider union movement and a broad range of community groups.
Campaign coordinator Simon Oosterman said the meeting represented a big step forward in community support for the workers. "Low-paid and minimum-wage workers are challenging some of the largest international companies and the more support they can get the stronger our campaign will be."
Oosterman said that fast-food workers at the meeting voted unanimously to take further action, including industrial action.
"This action will unfold in coming days while negotiations continue with McDonald's, Restaurant Brands [KFC, Starbucks and Pizza Hut] and Burger King. A major day of action across the whole fast-food sector is planned for March 18 and has been dubbed the 'Big Pay Out'. This will involve a march up Queen Street and a free concert with supporting artists at Myers Park", Oosterman said.
A website for the day has been established at <http://www.bigpayout.co.nz>.
From Green Left Weekly, February 22, 2006.
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