Fast food workers attending a rally in Lauderhill Tuesday said their lives consist of nothing but work and paying bills. They're unable to go to school, they're worried about taking time off to go to the doctor and their homes often lack electricity.
But they're fighting to change that, starting at the local level.
Five weeks ahead of the Aug. 28 primary elections, the group "Fight for $15" gathered to announce their multi-county "Get Out the Vote Drive" in Lauderhill, Sanford, Orlando, Miami, and Tampa. In Lauderhill, "Fight for $15" members rallied outside the Broward County Supervisor of Elections office to mobilize workers paid less than $15 per hour. The group wants more low-paid workers to vote so issues like liveable wages can come to fruition.
Dadily Joseph, 38, works at Burger King and makes $8.58 per hour. He explained that he consistently struggles to pay his bills and provide for his 17-year-old son.
"I'm always behind, I'm always paying reconnection fees, I'm always paying late fees, I'm always having to take a payday loan out and ending up in more debt," Joseph said. "I'm always behind. I'm never ahead. I'm always behind. My check is always acounted for before I even get it."
Nojisola Olaigbe, 19, is an immigrant from Belgium. She wanted to go to school here in the U.S. but couldn't afford it. She's currently living with an organizer from "Fight for $15," sleeping on their couch.
Olaigbe said she thinks about going back to Belgium because wages in America are impossible to live off of. She works at McDonald's and has one co-worker whose entire family has worked at the chain for generations. Olgaibe considers herself lucky that she can go back home to Belgium while some U.S. citizens continue to suffer.
"The people here are not living," Olaigbe said.
Many members of "Fight for $15" are also voicing support for Amendment 4, which would make it easier for most former felons to get their voting rights back. Right now, felons in the state of Florida have to wait at least five years before applying for a hearing before a state board to have their voting rights restored. That process can be lengthy. Joseph fits that category and said he recently voted for the first time in 15 years.
"Everybody deserves a chance, everybody makes mistakes," Joseph said.
Laura Pierre, 21, works for Chipotle, Lyft and as a healthcare worker. She is from Haiti, so she pays out-of-state tuition to study at Broward College. But she had to take last semester off because she couldn't afford it.
"Especially being an immigrant, it makes it harder because there are fees I have to pay," Pierre said. "Like every year I have to renew something."
She said she feels workers like her are in a dire financial situation.
"It's not just a struggle; it's a crisis," Pierre said. "As human beings, we're not supposed to be living to pay bills. We're supposed to work and be able to live. We're wasting our lives."
Pierre and Joseph said low-paid workers need to organize and represent themselves politically. They're concerned that Floridians care more about national elections than locals' concerns.
"We forget that change starts in our communities," Pierre said.
From now until the November elections, "Fight for $15" will be canvassing in areas where many voters aren't registered. These include areas in Broward, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Seminole and Orange counties. "Fight for $15" will be registering voters, making sure their registration cards are up-to-date and encouraging them to get out the vote.
