Fast-food workers are continuing their strike at McDonald's, Burger Kings and other stores in the US in a protest over the low wages in the service sector.
The strikes spread quickly across the country yesterday, shutting down restaurants in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, St Louis, Raleigh and Seattle, according to organisers.
The fast-food workers were expected to be joined by retail staff from stores owned by Macy's, Sears Holdings Corp and Dollar Tree.
The fast-food workers want to form unions in the virtually union-free sector without employer retaliation and bargain for higher wages.
They are demanding pay of $15 an hour, up from $7.25, which is the current federal minimum wage.
Martin Rafanan, a community organiser in St Louis, said local employees of McDonald's and Wendy's can not make it on the salaries.
"If you're paying $7.35 an hour and employing someone for 20, 25 hours a week, which is the average here, they're bringing home about $10,000 a year. You can't survive on that," Mr Rafanan said. Missouri's minimum wage is $7.35 an hour.
"Unless we can figure out how to make highly profitable companies pay a fair wage to their workers, we're just going to watch them pull all the blood, sweat, tears and money out of our communities."
McDonald's profits totaled $5.47 billion in 2012.
Momentum has been building in recent months, organisers say, as they receive financial and technical support from the Service Employees International Union, community activists, politicians and the clergy.
Last November, some 200 workers walked off their fast-food jobs in New York City. Groups in Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit and other cities followed their lead in April and July.
The $200bn US fast-food sector as well as retail sales and food preparation have been under the spotlight because they have added most of the jobs, in many cases lower-paying and part time, since the recession.
Restaurant chains and trade groups say the protests are unwarranted because fast-food and retail outlets provide Americans with millions of good jobs with competitive pay and ample opportunities to rise through the ranks.
"Our history is full of examples of individuals who worked their first job with McDonald's and went on to successful careers both within and outside of McDonald's," McDonald's said in a statement.
Wendy's and Burger King did not respond to requests for comment.
The restaurant chains have not changed their wage policies as a result of recent strikes.
