Workers in the food industry earn some of the lowest wages in the U.S. economy, and after a long day of preparing, cooking, or serving food at work, many struggle to put food on their own tables.

A hefty 29% of U.S. jobs were linked to the food and agricultural industries in 2021, and job growth in food sectors is on the rise. But the low pay has consequences. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 11.3% of workers in food preparation and service were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2018. These food workers were ranked third highest for SNAP enrollment rates out of all occupations.

“Food workers are about two and a half times more likely to be food insecure than workers in other sectors of the economy, which is so ironic. [T]hey’re the ones creating the food that we all eat, but also because of how many workers there are in the food system. There are more than 21.5 million people,” explained Jose Oliva, an experienced labor organizer and the campaigns director for HEAL Food Alliance, a coalition to transform food systems.

Workers and researchers agree that low wages and a longstanding lack of labor protections in the service industry fuel inequality. The best way to tackle these issues is through robust union protections and reevaluating the systemic ways our food systems are designed to capitalize on the exploitation of vulnerable people. But across the U.S., it’s an uphill battle for workers to unionize and protect themselves from the corporate powers that retaliate against unions.

At 55, Arnice Sykes has worked in food service in Atlanta, Georgia, for several years. At first, it seemed like a great opportunity, but she quickly realized that “half the time, it’s not what you signed up for.”

At her previous job at Church’s, Sykes said she regularly had to forgo the breaks she was legally entitled to whenever the restaurant got too busy, and there were restrictions on the shift meals the staff received. Usually this meant they were given small servings that they were required to eat at the restaurant.

“If I’m working and don’t have time to take a break, then why can’t I take [the food] home?” Sykes said.

The larger issue to Sykes and other low-wage fast food workers is how paltry the wages are. “They’re not paying you enough to decide if you’re going to grocery shop, or pay your rent, or just pay partial rent,” she said.

Fast food employers pay some of the lowest wages in the U.S. The median pay for fast food jobs is $8.69 an hour, and 87% of fast food workers do not receive health benefits from their employers. Workers nationwide have fought for years to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, which would lift millions of people out of poverty. But in today’s economy, it still wouldn’t be enough to sustain single adults and families in most regions of the country.

In California, fast food workers secured a $20 hourly minimum wage earlier this year. However, nearly six months since the raise went into effect, workers have effectively been punished for their organizing win.

Laura Pozos is a 62-year-old McDonald’s worker in Los Angeles. She’s worked for the corporation for nine years and told Prism that once the $20 wage went into effect, McDonald’s “took it out on” workers by reducing their hours. “Ultimately, I still struggle,” she said. “It’s hard to afford meals with just the 17 hours I have to work per week now.”

Since the California bill was approved, franchises throughout the state have doubled down on cost-cutting measures, including raising menu prices and laying off delivery drivers. While chain restaurants lobby against minimum wage increases, arguing that such legislation would threaten their tight profit margins, some fast food executives at companies like Denny’s and McDonald’s have made remarks admitting that wage increases don’t actually hinder the company. It’s difficult to see how global chains struggle upon seeing figures like McDonald’s CEO’s 2023 compensation of more than $10.8 million, or 1,150 times more than what the company’s average employee earned. Research has also shown that........

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