How did a walkout by a few hundred fast food workers in New York City grow into one of the most influential labor movements of the modern era? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Fight for $15 and explore how a demand for a living wage became a global debate about poverty, corporate power, automation, unions, public policy, and the future of work itself.

This transcript traces the movement from its 2012 roots, when workers earning the stagnant federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour walked off the job to protest poverty pay, wage theft, and dependence on public assistance. It follows how that local action expanded across industries, linked arms with broader social justice movements, spread to hundreds of cities worldwide, and ultimately helped drive billions of dollars in wage gains through state an ...