Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 23 May 2018

Located next to Wilhelmina Restaurant Tel. 583-0404
McDonald’s workers file sex harassment claims

that stance has compli- practices aimed at curtail- emotionally taxing, but she
cated efforts to unionize ing such harassment. is proud of her decision.
workers across the entire Among the new complain- “I feel like I have a voice
McDonald’s chain. ants is Tanya Harrell, 22, of now,” she said in a tele-
When similar sexual harass- New Orleans, who alleges phone interview.
ment charges were lodged that her two managers “It gives me a bit of motiva-
by Fight for $15 workers two teased her, but otherwise tion and a bit of courage.”
years ago, McDonald’s took no action after she In addition to New Orleans
promised a review of those told them of sustained ver- and St. Louis, charges were
allegations. However, Hick- bal and physical harass- filed by workers in Chicago,
ey — in her new response ment by a co-worker. Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami;
— declined to say wheth- Harrell, who makes $8.15 Orlando, Florida; Durham,
er that review led to any an hour, says going public North Carolina, and Kansas
changes of policies and with her complaint may be City, Missouri.q

In this Nov. 29, 2016 file photo, protesters gather outside a
McDonald’s restaurant in Minneapolis during a demonstration
for higher wages as part of the National Day of Action to Fight
for $15.
(David Joles/Star Tribune via AP, File)
By DAVID CRARY the U.S. Equal Employment
AP National Writer Opportunity Commission,
NEW YORK (AP) — En- are being announced on
ergized by the #MeToo Tuesday, two days ahead
movement, two national of the company’s annual
advocacy groups are shareholder meeting in
teaming up to lodge sexu- Oak Brook, Illinois.
al harassment complaints Responding to the claims,
against McDonald’s on be- McDonald’s spokeswoman
half of 10 women who have Terri Hickey said there is “no
worked at the fast food res- place for harassment and
taurant in nine cities. discrimination of any kind”
The workers — one of them in the workplace.
a 15-year-old from St. Louis “McDonald’s Corporation
— alleged groping, prop- takes allegations of sexual
ositions for sex, indecent harassment very seriously
exposure and lewd com- and are confident our in-
ments by supervisors. Ac- dependent franchisees
cording to their complaints, who own and operate ap-
when the women reported proximately 90 percent of
the harassment, they were our 14,000 U.S. restaurants
ignored or mocked, and in will do the same,” Hickey
some cases suffered retali- said by email.
ation. Fight for $15 said the res-
The legal effort was or- taurants named in the
ganized by Fight for $15, complaints are run by fran-
which campaigns to raise chisees, not directly by
pay for low-wage workers. McDonald’s. But the com-
The legal costs are being plaints name both McDon-
covered by the TIMES UP ald’s Corp. and the franchi-
Legal Defense Fund, which see — part of Fight for $15’s
was launched in January effort to hold the company
by the National Women’s responsible for wage and
Law Center to provide at- employment issues at fran-
torneys for women who chised locations.
cannot afford to bring cas- The company claims its
es on their own. franchisees are indepen-
The complaints, filed with dent business owners, and