The Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris, at the center, in D-Calif., Addresses those who are protesting for a higher minimum wage outside of McDonald's on Friday, June 14, 2019. Las Vegas. (AP Photo / John Locher) (Photo: John Locher, AP)

LAS VEGAS – As a student, Kamala Harris worked at McDonald's.

Friday afternoon, she went to her former workplace in Las Vegas to claim a minimum wage of $ 15 – while campaigning for a new job: President of the United States.

"I've prepared the fries and ice cream," said the Democratic senator from California surrounded by fast food franchise workers as they gathered across the country to demand higher wages and the right to form a union. "There was not a family that was counting on me to pay the rent, put food on the table and pay the bills by the end of the month – but the reality of McDonald's is that a majority of those working there today rely on this income to support a household and a family. "

Harris is part of the majority of Democratic presidential candidates who support raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, instead of $ 7.25.

"If we want to talk about these golden arches as being a symbol of America's best, well, the arches are falling," Harris said. "We must recognize that workers deserve a living wage."

McDonald's Corp. declared to recognize the right of workers to join trade unions. The company also said that it did not control wages in its franchise restaurants, but that the average starting salary of the company's owned restaurants exceeded $ 10 an hour.

As temperatures hit triple digits on Friday afternoon, Harris shouted and helped carry a big banner as fast-food workers and other activists paraded in a McDonald's parking lot. just east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Union workers showed signs of the # FightFor15 campaign – and they chanted:

"Not fifteen, no peace!"

"If we do not get our fifteen, we do not get peace!"

"We work, we sweat, put fifteen dollars on our check!"

Michael Collins, a 68-year-old University Medical Center nurse and member of SEIU Nevada Local 1107, observed Harris in the crowd.

"These minimum wage jobs do not allow people to earn a living and provide for a family," he said. "It's just not possible.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Housing Secretary of the United States Julian Castro and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have all appeared before employees of the fast-food giant across the country. country. Former Texas representative Beto O'Rourke, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker were to join McDonald's workers at a rally Saturday in South Carolina.

Earlier Friday, Harris had visited a legal clinic at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which helps immigrants deal with deportation and other legal issues. She then met with law clinic students and activists and outlined her plan to address some immigration issues if she were elected president.

Harris said that when she was sworn in, she would immediately initiate a series of executive actions to help immigrants illegally admitted to the United States stay in the country and work.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for Reno Gazette and USA Today. Do you care about democracy? So support local journalism by subscribing to the Revo Gazette Journal here.

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