Religious leaders call for "Fast from Fast Food" to call attention to workers' low wages

The fast aims to draw attention to "Fight for 15" movement, which is advocating for a union and a minimum wage of $15 an hour for fast food workers. Religious leaders involved with the fast are asking people of all faiths to take a pledge not to eat burgers and fries between Feb. 18 and April 4. Interfaith Worker Justice, the advocacy group that's organizing the fast, is also offering an online program of daily reflections and prayers that relate to the push for higher wages. So far, 1,500 people have signed the online pledge to participate, according to IWJ.

The Fast from Fast Food is bringing a renewed focus to the role of faith leaders in curbing income inequality, one of the biggest social justice issues of our time. This modern partnership between religious organizations and social justice advocates comes out of a decades-long collaboration between the two groups. From the abolition of slavery to the Civil Rights movement, faith leaders have played a prominent role in pushing for social change throughout American history.

Now, there’s an added urgency to the efforts thanks to Pope Francis, who is drawing attention to rising inequality and the obligation of people of faith to help mitigate it.

“He’s just so clear about it,” said Sister Simone Campbell, the executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby. Campbell is one of the religious leaders who has endorsed the Fast from Fast Food campaign. “A family should be able to be supported in dignity by the work of the parents, and the fact is that currently in the United States, salaries are not sufficient to allow families to live in dignity,” she said.