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This article has several crucial points to understand about this topic:

"Are national minimum wage protests at fast-food chains a spontaneous reaction to the slow-growing economy and sluggish labor market?

No, these protests are organized by a campaign called Fast Food Forward, led by the worker center New York Communities for Change, funded in part by unions, including the Services Employees International Union. Read about New York Communities for Change.

This was brought home to me when I was on National Public Radio’s show “On Point” with host Tom Ashbrook on Wednesday. Also on the show was Terrance Wise, 34, who has three daughters and has worked at fast-food restaurants for 18 years.

Terrance is not your typical minimum wage worker. Most minimum wage workers move on after a couple of years, because turnover in the fast-food industry is rapid. When I asked NPR how to get in touch with Terrance, I was given the name of his publicist. A minimum-wage worker with a publicist? That’s something.

Turns out Terrance’s publicist is strategic consulting firm BerlinRosen, which has an impressive list of union clients, including the SEIU. According to BerlinRosen’s web site: “We work with our union clients to develop hard-hitting campaigns that bring together eye-catching member-to-member mail, persuasive tv ads, phone programs, web campaigns and earned media to help deliver your message and win the day.”

No matter that raising the minimum wage to a “living wage” of $15 an hour, which is what protesters demand, would hurt young and unskilled workers, those employees whom protestors supposedly represent. Fewer people would be hired, and the young and low-skilled would lose job opportunities...."

Hiking minimum wage threatens U.S. jobs - Diana Furchtgott-Roth - MarketWatch