A “McStrike” is a labor strike by fast food workers. The term “McStrike” (McDonald’s + strike) sometimes indicates a strike specifically at McDonald’s (the leading fast food restaurant), but it also often indicates a strike at various fast food restaurants. “McStrike” is a similar word formation to “McJob.”
 
“McStrike” has been cited in print since at least 2001, but the term became popularized in 2012-13, when fast food workers at many restaurants (such as Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Subway as well as McDonald’s) held strikes to increase their wages. The “McStrike” movement claimed that fast food wages weren’t sufficient to live on and a “living wage” was demanded.
 
 
Google Books
Youth at Work:
The Unionized Fast-food and Grocery Workplace
By Stuart Tannock
Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press
2001
Pg. 212:
Holding signs that read, “Overworked and Underpaid,” “Honk for Compassion,” and “Did Somebody Say Unqualified Management?” (playing off the “Did Somebody Say McDonald’s?” advertising campaign), the mostly teenage strikes drew the attention not only of store management and local passers-by, but also of the national media. CNN, Good Morning America, most of the country’s major daily newspapers, and even People magazine covered the story, while the “McStrike” became favorite fodder for Howard Stern’s and Jay Leno’s comedy routines.
 
Twitter
Restaurants / Dining‏
@RestaurantEats  
Restaurant: McStrike - McDonald’s Shut Down & Occupied by Employees #eat #food #restaurant http://bit.ly/jHH8BE
9:09 PM - 21 May 11
 
Twitter
Suspended Account‏
@Suspended_Acct  
McStrike, NYC fast-food workers walk out
salon.com/2012/11/29/in_rare_strike_nyc_fast_food_workers_walk_out/ … via @Salon
5:34 AM - 29 Nov 12
 
Power in a Union
McStrike in NYC!
Posted on November 30, 2012 by Tony Burke
Fast food workers took industrial action this week in New York City to fight for higher pay and the right to join and form unions.
 
Workers supported by New York Communities For Change protested outside of McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Dominos and restaurants who are part of the Yum! Brand chain (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC) on Thursday.
 
New York Communities For Change had previously helped unionise car wash and supermarket workers in New York. Fast food workers are demanding a pay rise to $15 per hour.
     
HeraldNet (Everett, WA)
Published: Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 12:01 a.m.
Mystery meat
(...) 
McStrike: Several thousand fast-food workers across the nation staged protests last week, calling for a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage. In response, industry officials placed a newspaper ad suggesting that higher wages could force them to replace humans with robots.
 
Twitter
RYOT NEWS‏
@RYOTnews  
McStrike! Fast-food strikes set for cities nationwide http://www.ryot.org/fast-food-strikes-set-for-cities-nationwide/343013 …
5:25 AM - 29 Aug 13
 
Zero Hedge
Fast-Food Workers Of The World, Unite: The McStrike Epidemic Spreads, Coming To A City Near You
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/29/2013 15:56 -0400
A month ago we reported that US fast food workers in several US cities, namely New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Mo., and Flint, Mich., walked out Monday in a one-day strike demanding a doubling of their pay. Not unexpectedly, even though the president himself has been a strong proponent of rising the minimum wage, the corporations balked and the strikers achieved nothing and just in case there is some confusion, there is a lot of minimum skills, minimum wage applicants (not to mention robots) out there which translates into two words for the strikers: no leverage. However, these concepts may be foreign to a fast-food labor force that probably just wants a day out in the nice weather and to take a break from hard work for a change.