Workers at Columbia SC Sonic restaurant set to strike soon. Here’s what to know
Employees at a Sonic fast-food restaurant in Columbia plan to strike today for a $15 a hour minimum wage and improved working conditions.
The workers at the Sonic at 315 Assembly St. will begin a two-day strike there starting at 5:30 p.m. after delivering an official strike notice and list of demands to the business, according to a press release from Fight for $15, a political movement that advocates for a higher minimum wage and other rights.
The strike comes after a worker filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the press release states. The compliant alleges safety concerns that workers saw at the Sonic, including exposure to black mold, icicles hanging from the freezer near electrical outlets and outdated equipment that poses a burn risk.
Striking Sonic workers will be joined by members of the Union of Southern Service Workers, including Irmo Dollar General employees, who recently went on strike.
The workers at Sonic demand a least $15 an hour and an end to understaffing at the restaurant. The striking workers also demand the following:
- A workplace free of unsafe working conditions
- Clean and remove mold from inside restaurant
- Repair or replace malfunctioning fryer
- Address icicles forming over electrical outlets
- Repair leaking, unstable ceiling panels
- Properly secure and store all chemicals
- Dignity and equal treatment
