MI People's Campaign Joins Detroit Fast Food Workers to Strike for Union Rights

Abdul El-Sayed, Rashida Tlaib among 18 arrested

It's only the beginning.

More than 1000 fast-food workers, supporters, union members, and political candidates gathered in Detroit and Flint on November 6 to demand higher wages and health care.

“In the face of injustice, dissent is dignity. And there’s a real responsibility we have to fight against the system that works against so many people."

In a release, Fight For $15 says the fast food and other local union and nonunion workers plan to launch a 2018 election canvass in which they will knock on hundreds of thousands of doors to help elect candidates at the local, state and federal level "who will use their power to make it easier for workers to win a union."

Politicians arrested

During the demonstrations, participants shut down Woodward Avenue and set up a table. Police then stepped in and order people out of the streets, including former Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed and House of Representative candidate Rashida Tlaib continued to sit at the table in the street. They were among 18 people who were eventually taken into custody by police. El-Sayed and Tlaib were later released.

Hours later, El-Sayed tweeted a video explaining the incident and said the cause is worth supporting.

“In the face of injustice, dissent is dignity. And there’s a real responsibility we have to fight against the system that works against so many people," El-Sayed said.