Maybe you probably heard something about a humongous McDonald’s boycott last week, from June 24 to June 30. But here’s the thing: what’s going on? Why are people all of a sudden sticking the bird to Big Macs and fries? Well, let me tell you.
It’s more than just burgers and fries
This boycott is being organized by The People’s Union USA. They insist it’s not about fast food in itself. They’re making a point with corporate titans more than McDonald’s in itself. What they’d like to do is show that if enough people stand together and hold back their dollars, corporations will pay attention.
On a Facebook posting, their founder, John Schwarz, proclaimed, “This is about power. When we organize and strike corporations in their pockets, they listen.” How’s that for plain language?
What is the people’s union USA?
It’s a grassroots movement. That is, regular people coming together to wage struggle for change. They’re about things like economic justice, corporate accountability, and fairness for working people.
Since the beginning of 2023, they have organized boycotts of behemoths like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. They even refer to some of those as “economic blackouts,” where people are requested to avoid shopping, streaming, fast food, and online retail — and get it locally instead.
What are they demanding?
So what is The People’s Union demanding of McDonald’s? They claim the corporation needs to:
- Pay fair wages
- Stop suppressing workers’ rights and unionization
- Stop “performative” diversity and inclusion without bringing about change
- Act responsibly with taxation and pricing
In other words, they’re demanding that McDonald’s treat workers better, pay their fair share, and be honest and fair to customers and workers alike.
The bigger picture: Boycotts in 2025
This is not the first McDonald’s boycott. Since the latter part of 2023, a pro-Palestinian group referred to as BDS has been demanding that individuals boycott McDonald’s due to its alleged role in the Israeli military campaign.
More broadly, 2025 has seen a whole bunch of boycotts against giant companies for the same reason—breaking down diversity programs, paying workers less than their worth, dodging taxes, and so forth.
What does McDonald’s say?
McDonald’s has released no public statement about this week’s boycott. But they have in the past indicated that they do believe in fair labor rights and fair compensation for employees. For example, in 2019, McDonald’s reported that it wouldn’t fight against increases in the minimum wage.
Even so, organizers of the boycott think McDonald’s isn’t doing their share.
What’s next
The People’s Union USA isn’t finished yet. They’re already planning additional boycotts and economic shutdowns, one on the 4th of July and a number of others during the summer against such chains as Starbucks, Amazon, Walmart, and Lowe’s.
So when you hear friends talking about taking dinner off the table this week, you know why now, it’s about painting a bigger picture, not simply.
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