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Anggie Godoy saw the struggles of her mother, looked at her own work to balance school and a job at McDonald's, the struggles of her co-workers, and stood up. Three strikes and a hunger strike later, she led the successful fight to boost wages for fast food workers to $15 an hour.
“May was a big month for me. I graduated high school. And I went to Chicago to meet with the head of McDonald's,” Godoy said in a motivating speech to Canadian Council this morning.
Godoy took a job at McDonald's to help her mother pay the bills. As the oldest child, she needed to bring money in, and take care of her younger siblings.
But when she saw how difficult it was to get by on $9 an hour, she joined the Fight for $15 pushing for a higher minimum wage for fast food workers in Los Angeles. People called her brave for doing that.
“It’s not bravery. We know it’s the right thing to do. We don’t want that money for luxury. We need it to support ourselves.”
There is now a $15 minimum wage for all fast food workers in Los Angeles. The fight has spread to other cities across California and across the U.S., and has inspired minimum wages activists around the world.
Godoy said the higher wage has already made a big difference in her life. Later this month she enrolls in collage.
“Before, I couldn’t even think about college. Without the raise, I couldn’t afford it,” she said.
Godoy plans to study politics and labour. Inspired by her address, Unifor pledged to contribute $3,000 to her education.
