Marching for living wages

The Rev. William J. Barber II

Recently, I marched with McDonald's workers from three dozen cities to the company's headquarters outside of Chicago.

They had invited me to share some of the lessons we have been learning in North Carolina about civil disobedience. I watched my friends sit down. I watched the police gather. I prayed with them as police slapped handcuffs on 101 workers and arrested them.

I thought of the historic arc of the civil rights movement. For all the gains made, the treatment of low-paid workers by some of the most profitable corporations in the world ranks high in the causes of the growing inequalities in the U.S.

I have helped lead the fight against backward laws passed by an extremist group of legislators that, three years ago, took power in North Carolina. Last year, national media discovered us, calling us the Moral Monday protesters. In fact we have been organizing and protesting for eight years. The fight for living wages and the right of workers to collectively bargain are key parts of the 14-point agenda we developed in 2006. We know money in the hands of low-wage workers lifts our economy.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Marching-for-living-wages-5534580.php