A McDonald’s boycott is planned for June 24-30, the latest in a string of boycotts organized by the grassroots advocacy group The People’s Union USA.
Led by John Schwarz, The People’s Union began organizing boycotts of specific companies in late February. Although their blackouts started at a similar time as other boycotts targeting companies that rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Schwarz told The Arizona Republic that the actions of The People’s Union USA are influenced, but not caused by, companies’ DEI stances.
“The mission of The People’s Union USA is to hold corporations and corrupt systems accountable, not with violence or empty promises, but with the one thing that actually affects them, the money we spend,” Schwarz said via email.
Why are people boycotting McDonald’s?
In a June 19 Instagram post, Schwarz laid out a series of reasons for the boycott.
“They practice performative DEI with no meaningful change. They prioritize profit over people, community, and truth,” the list stated. “They exploit tax loopholes and do not pay their fair share.”
McDonald’s is one of over 30 companies that have rolled back DEI policies after the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down affirmative action. The company dropped “aspirational representation goals,” stopped external diversity surveys and changed the name of its diversity team to “Global Inclusion Team,” according to a Jan. 6 memo.
In 2022, McDonald’s paid $1.3 billion to settle a tax dispute in France that alleged the company had illegally diverted income to other countries.
How would a McDonald’s boycott affect California?
California is the state with the most McDonald’s locations, according to The Takeout, so a boycott could impact the company heavily if successful in the state.
McDonald’s has nearly 1,300 stores and employs over 70,000 people across those stores, based on a report from the company’s corporate page.
While it unclear how the boycotts will impact the chain, the company’s large presence in the state could make the boycotts noticeable.
The fast-food chain estimates that it provides close to $1 billion in state, local and federal taxes.
More boycotts planned against Walmart, Amazon and more
Schwarz shared a flyer on social media that lays out a series of upcoming boycotts:
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: A McDonald’s boycott starts soon. What does it mean for California?
Reporting by Reia Li and Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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