The people’s beef with McDonald’s: Why activists are calling for a nationwide boycott

It was a turbulent section for McDonald’s, with public health scandals, politics inversions – and now a boycott.

Last fall, the fast food giant landed in hot water after an e -e -egg epidemic. Coli was traced for fresh and slipped onions served on his quarter -book burgers. Consequently, McDonald’s has undergone a significant drop in sales and visits to customers, forcing the company to control damage by launching a new Big Mac chicken, providing more than $ 60 million to franchisees in affected states and spending additional $ 35 million in marketing to promote offers such as its $ 5 meal.

Then, in January, McDonald’s made the decision to reduce some of his diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI), after the traces of several companies that made their programs go back following the election of Donald Trump. The company declared that it retired its specific diversity objectives, in particular an external surveys break which measure the diversity of companies and forcing suppliers to engage in certain promises of Dei. McDonald’s also changed the name of his diversity team in the world inclusion team.

In the wake of his recent titles, McDonald’s has now become the target of an in progress boycott initiated by the Union USA people, a basic defense group. The founder of the union, John Schwarz, explained in an Instagram publication that the union requires “fair taxes, the end of gougage, real equality and business responsibility”.

The boycott started on June 24 and is expected to continue until Monday, June 30.

“It is more than burgers and fries, it is a question of being able,” wrote the popular people USA on Instagram. “When we unite and hit societies in their wallets, they listen … It is a show of strength, solidarity and change of people. Let them feel it. Let them hear us. “

Earlier this month, Schwarz provided a list of reasons for the boycott, saying that McDonald’s is guilty of exploiting tax gaps “, engaging in” prices of prices while wages remain low “,” suppressing workers’ rights and union efforts “,” supporting political figures who threaten democracy “,” practice Dei.

Schwarz is not alone in his criticisms of the fast food chain. Last October, meaning. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Bob Casey from Pennsylvania and Oregon Ron Wyden criticized McDonald’s for a substantial increase in menu prices.

“Earlier this year, the President of the United States of McDonald’s, Joe Erlinger, tried to blame increases in the company menu on inflationary pressures and input costs, but the data tells another story,” read a letter written by the three senators and addressed to the business leadership of the company. “The beneficiary margins of McDonald’s were 52% in the same year, the highest of the ten fast food companies listed on the stock market.”

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“Companies’ benefits should not be done at the expense of people’s ability to put food on the table,” added the letter.

In statements to NBC News, Casey also accused McDonald’s of “clerk manuals”, and Warren said that McDonald’s “pressed customers to make massive profits, paying billions to rich shareholders, then turning and blaming the inflation for high costs”.

As for whether the McDonald’s boycott in progress will have a significant impact remains uncertain at the moment. The Union USA people have previously called to boycotts other large companies, notably Amazon, Nestlé, Walmart, General Mills and Target.

“The truth is that McDonald’s has built a global empire out of low-wage labor, intelligent accounts and aggressive lobbying,” Schwarz told Newsweek. “They report record profits, almost $ 9 billion this year, while many of their workers cannot afford health care or basic rent. This is not an opportunity. It is a disguised exploitation in service. This boycott does not concern fast food. This is responsibility. The USA popular union represents the growing number of Americans that tolerant of the greedy of companies, inequality and empty promotions. ”

In response to the boycott, McDonald’s told Newsweek: “We welcome an honest dialogue with the communities that we serve, but we are disappointed to see these misleading affirmations which distort our values ​​and distort our actions. Our goal remains on the service of our customers and our communities. We are here and ready to serve. “

McDonald’s has published a similar declaration to CNN, saying: “The McDonald’s system also generates billions of federal, state and local taxes each year, and we will continue to pay our fair share.”