Peaceful Conflict: Fight For 15 LA

Take any sort of position on any issue they you are bound to be in opposition of someone else. It is just the way things are. Disagreements are a part of life. Who gets the result they want is invariably resolved by some sort of conflict when compromise can not be reached. We have the option to talk it out or negotiate, and in this case there is a major player,who is up against a much smaller one. Fast food workers have banned together for the #FightFor15LA protest to strike and protest for higher minimum wage and more rights for workers.

The fast food companies already have their rates in place and it effects their profit margins to increase the minimum wage. The conflict is between what the workers want, and what makes fiscal sense for the business. Responsibility of the employer to take care of its employees is being legally upheld but the workers feel they are being taken advantage of socially. They are asking for an increase to $15 from what is now $9.

One one side of the argument is the National Restaurant Association and the other side is the Fight For 15 campaign. This resulted in nearly 1,000 people gathering in Downtown, Los Angeles in front of a McDonald’s location to rally and protest.
The protestors brought out drums, and signs, and they were chanting in front of police and news cameras. Though there some arrests reported, the event was peaceful.

The right to assemble is part of the American constitution set in place to protect the individual liberties of its citizens. These protests do not always end peacefully but in this case the demonstration did exactly what it was supposed to, bring awareness to the issue, and apply pressure to the fast food industry.

In the maneuver is powerful because it serves a few purposes. It gets people together so they can show how much support there is behind the idea, it also unites all effected parties. The additional benefit is the press, it creates a story that can not be ignore, and the value there is immeasurable. The additional awareness that comes, can often spark additional actions in other places. This is a social and psychological perspective that adds to the fact that the workers are already on strike. Which is the direct action taken against the employer but the residual effect is potentially more powerful.

The peaceful resolution of conflict as a powerful device because it leaves the protestors vulnerable but is still an important display of their power as a collective unit where a single person could not make the same difference.

To get more information about the minimum wage fight visit fightfor15.org

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