Maria Elena is a Fight for $15 leader in San Jose who has worked at McDonald for 24 years. Maria has faced wage theft from management and unfair working conditions for many years. At the onslaught of the pandemic she began to fear for family members with preexisting conditions. She feels that although there have been measures taken to improve safety, there are still greater things that workers can accomplish in the workplace, so that they can feel more secure and valued by their employers.
“[A previous manager] got kicked out of McDonald’s because she was cutting hours. She would change the hourly times for workers.”
“I have called out, and couldn’t use sick days. I was paid out my sick days instead of being able to use them.”
“My husband has to do dialysis so we are scared. My eldest also has asthma issues. My other son has depression, so it’s all been tough.”
“I think a Union would allow for benefits like vacation, more sick days, then more oversight of management and more proof for workers to keep. We could get rid of more managers who are not doing right by the company or workers.”
Silicon Valley Worker Stories Project 