Like most young fathers, Frankie Tisdale, 26, wants a nice apartment for himself and his children. He also wants them to eat organic food, get a good education and excel in extracurriculars.

But as a fast-food worker in Brooklyn, New York, Tisdale makes less than $10 per hour. He has only found part-time work at KFC and although he tries to find other odd jobs like “painting walls, moving houses and delivering goods,” he typically takes home less than $200 a week. That’s not even enough for him to make rent. So he lives with his six-year-old daughter at his 80-year-old father’s house.

On May 15, Tisdale joined fast-food workers in over 150 US cities and 33 countries to strike for a higher minimum wage, in what is believed to be the biggest round of strikes yet. “I deserve to get $15 per hour. I want to feel like a man,” says Tisdale. “In America, if you decide to have a family, you should have the opportunity to support the family.”

Tisdale’s father — who served in the Navy before driving trucks for a living — still supports him. Tisdale’s son, 7, lives with his mother and visits on weekends.