Today's fast food strike, which has spread all across the country, just hit Ballard at 10 a.m. with a rally at the Ballard Burger King where about 20 people participated.

Jason Harvey, 42, said he has been working at the Ballard Burger King for eight-and-one-half years and still gets paid just $9.19 an hour. He said his hours have been reduced and that he doesn't receive any benefits.

To make it by each day, he has to rely on some kind of charity. He goes to the food bank, has food stamps, has subsidized housing through the Seattle Housing Authority, he goes to the VA for healthcare -- everything he does, he says, is subsidized.

"If you're actually going to work and work hard, you should have enough money to pay (bills)," he said. "To have to jump through the hoops and rely on other peoples' charity just isn't right."

In the Puget Sound region, many Burger Kings have been cutting peoples' hours down to below 28 hours so they don't have to give health benefits through the Affordable Care Act. (Harvey notes that his hours have not been cut as bad as other people's.)

In addition, Harvey said Burger King will disrespect the new city sick leave ordinance. He told the story of a friend who had been sick to the point of barely being able to talk. When she came in to tell a manager she was sick, she was roped into working anyway. She quit the same day, Harvey said.

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