The Reality Of Working In The Fast Food Industry

What's it like to be a fast-food worker in America? The working conditions in the fast food industry have recently been under harsh criticism, thanks to workers' walkouts and protests in New York and most recently in Chicago on Wednesday. Workers are demanding a pay raise to $15 per hour, a significant increase given that the average pay is about half that. Even though food preparation is the third most common job in the country, the average salary for the gig is just $18,720 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The workers also are demanding full-time schedules so that they can receive benefits. Is this fair? What are conditions like inside America's fast-food chains?