Protesters called for better wages for workers Monday, July 20, during a lunch hour protest designed to end systemic racism.

A group of about 40 gathered outside the McDonald’s at 2073 Union to begin the event shortly after noon. Plans called for marching to a nearby police precinct, but that did not occur. 

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The event, Strike for Black Lives, was a part of a nationwide series of strikes and protests. The strike was organized by Movement for Black Lives, the Poor People’s Campaign, Fight for $15, the Service Employees International Union and several other labor unions.

“Low-income workers are deemed essential workers without safeguards in place,” Rev. Regina Clarke with the Poor People’s Campaign said. “They are being punished for being poor. We came to strike at noon and stand beside them. Workers are putting lives on the line by coming to work.”

In addition to those coming to the event, workers were asked to leave their jobs for 8 minutes and 46 seconds nationwide to remember George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McLean and others who have died.

”Companies like McDonald’s are failing Black workers and standing in the way of racial justice,” said Alexis Chambers, a McDonald’s worker in Memphis and a leader in the Fight for $15.

“Tweeting Black Lives Matter won’t undo racial injustice in our workplaces and doesn’t do anything about the poverty wages, lack of sick days and inadequate PPE that has left Black workers more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re going on Strike for Black Lives because it’s time for companies like McDonald’s to show they value our lives by giving workers a seat at the table and a voice on the job.” 

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Tiffany Lowe was one of those protesting. She works at the KFC on Jackson Avenue. Lowe said she came to protest because she has no hazard pay or sick leave.

“If I don’t go to work my children don’t eat,” Lowe said. “I make $7.85, and I struggle to get by. I shouldn’t have to choose between my children eating and work. Corporations like McDonalds and KFC need to choose workers over profit.”

She led the crowd in a chant of “Hold them burgers, hold them fries, make our wages supersized.” They also chanted “We work, we sweat, put $15 on our check.”

The crowd then said the names of those who died during encounters with police to join in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement.

As the group was chanting, an ambulance passed by and its occupants shouted at the group to “go get jobs.” The crowd chanted louder and shouted back “we have jobs.”

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Memphis police were on the scene. They blocked the right lane of Union as protesters spilled into the street.

Henry Jones Jr., holding a Black Lives Matter sign, said he is a member of the United Campus Workers and he came to support the strike. 

“We need $15 or more,” said Jones, who works at the University of Memphis. 

Some workers who were not able to be at the protest joined the strike virtually, said Antonio Cathey of the Fight for $15 in Memphis.

“I think this went well and we sent a message,” Cathey said.

He said Fight for $15 and other unions plan to join the Communications Workers of America for a second protest on Sycamore View and Summer over treatment of Black employees at AT&T in Memphis. 

A press release alleges that workers, most of whom are Black, in a training class for AT&T employees “were needlessly exposed to COVID, without their knowledge or consent, while management knew.”