Philadelphia, 10th and Market Streets
Activists teamed up with retail and fast food workers to campaign for a $15 minimum wage by standing together at a rally on Market Street. I came into Philly to support this initiative because I participated in the Swarthmore College Living Wage and Democracy’s campaign to raise the base wage, and documented that effort here. That campaign resulted in a wage increase for the lowest-paid employees at the College.
Many corporations that pay poverty wages compensate their CEO’s hundreds of times larger than their workers. For more information, check out this article, “466 Hours of Worker Overtime Equals One Hour of CEO Pay.”
Rally participants broke into groups to distribute red flowers to female workers at four different locations including McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King and CVS. Most folks who passed by the demonstration responded positively, and drivers honked their horns in support.
Links:
Activists in Philadelphia Join Nationwide Protest of Low Minimum Wage
On International Women’s Day, Street Actions in Philly for Living Wage
Living Wage Lament
Rich folks have the money,
they also have control
poor folks have no money
we’re even in the hole.
We represent diversity
but we are not you’re cream
cause your diversity comes packaged
in a sales pitch lean and mean.
You keep you billon dollars
safely in the bank
no way in hell can touch it
for us who have no rank.
The future is what you talk ’bout
as if that’s all that matters,
you forget the present d’termines
who’ll remain in tatters.
We try and try to tell you
but you got blinders on.
for you can’t see or hear us
‘fraid you’re sense’s gone.
Those who toil and work
are different kind of folks
and never in a billion years
will you remove our yokes.
So it’s up to us to do it
for we must seek the prize
to get equal pay and benefits
and open people’ s eyes.
Psalmboxkey's Blog 
Comments on: "International Women’s Day: A Rally for $15/hr Minimum Wage" (2)
hi there! this is Kate from Socialist Alternative. May we use some of the photos you took? Yours are some of the best that were taken that day.
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Hi Kate, sure absolutely!
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