Labor Day minimum wage rally brings 'Fight for 15' to St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - Fast food workers in St. Paul are spending their Labor Day pushing for a $15 minimum wage. A Fight for 15 rally started at 6 a.m. Monday at the McDonald’s on West Seventh Street.

The group is asking the city of St. Paul to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour. In Minnesota, there are currently two different minimum wages based on the number of employees -- $9.50 for large businesses and $7.75 for small businesses. But many say that's not a living wage.   

"We're hopeful that the national minimum wage actually goes up and catches up with what we're doing right now,” said Veronica Mendez Moore. “That’s part of this fight. The more workers we can get covered under this the better.”

Over the summer, the Minneapolis City Council voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, but the $15 wage won't be fully phased-in until 2024. Activists are hoping St. Paul follows suit.

Rep. Keith Ellison joined the Fight for 15 group at Sunday morning's demonstration.