The Fight for $15 movement was accused of paying union activists Thursday as part of an organized effort to protest President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of labor.
Union-backed activists protested inside Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. restaurants across the country, in an effort to stop Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Labor. The International Franchise Association (IFA) claims that the protesters were paid.
Trump nominated CKE Restaurants (which includes Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.) president Andy Puzder Dec. 8 to become the next secretary of labor. The Fight for $15 movement launched a campaign in opposition to Puzder, which includes a website dedicated to “stopping Andy Puzder.”
Activists stormed a Los Angeles Hardee’s, carrying a sign that read, “Puzder gets rich by keeping his employees poor.” Similar scenes played out at restaurants in St. Louis, New York and elsewhere. (RELATED: Trump To Pick Fight For $15 Critic For Labor Sec)
“It is unfortunate to see unions spending more of their members’ hard-earned money in a deliberate smear campaign against an individual and franchise organization with a stellar record of creating opportunities for advancement, providing a safe work environment for employees and customers,” IFA senior VP of Public Affairs Matt Haller said in a statement Thursday.
The president of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, met with the president-elect Friday morning. Trumka argued during a press call Dec. 22 that Trump had already “betrayed his promise” to the working class by picking Puzder. (RELATED: AFL-CIO’s Trumka Meets Trump Friday)
“These protests distract from the real issues at hand for our nation’s leaders – how to create economic growth at all levels, which is the only real solution to income inequality in America,” Haller asserted.
Unions are bracing for a Trump administration by tightening their budgets. The Service Employees International Union announced that it’s slashing its upcoming budget, citing Trump’s presidency as a major concern. (RELATED: Big Labor Curtails Spending As It Braces For Trump Presidency)
Puzder’s confirmation hearing was pushed back to early February.
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