McDonald’s is facing another boycott, this time accused of unfair labor practices, price gouging, and DEI rollbacks by an activist group. The People’s Union USA launched the June boycott following successful campaigns against Target, Amazon, and Walmart as part of a pattern of concentrated efforts to pressure big corporations into action that better supports workers and marginalized communities.
McDonald’s responded by claiming to value inclusion and promote economic opportunities, but the boycott did not seem impressed.
The McDonald’s boycott will last from June 24 – June 30, 2025. John Schwarz, founder of The People’s Union USA, announced the effort on June 18 to his Instagram followers. In the post, he accused the company of exploiting tax loopholes, price gouging, suppressing union activity, engaging in “performative DEI,” and supporting “political figures who threaten democracy.”
“This is about more than burgers and fries, this is about power,” Schwarz wrote in another post. “When we unite and hit corporations in their wallets, they listen.”
News of the boycott spread on social media this week, finding some solid supporters among popular accounts.
“McDonald’s has billions in profits but can’t afford fairness, equity, or a living wage?” wrote X user @ChetterHub. “If they can slash DEI, we can skip the fries.”
“One day of silence from us speaks louder than their years of excuses. Let’s hit them where it counts.”
On Bluesky, @uniongrl.bsky.social called for her followers to support the effort.
“Another corporation ‘rolling back’ their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program,” she said. “This program includes females, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQIA and POC.”
Schwarz’s boycotts appear to have made an impact in the past. After Target weakened its DEI position, the company reported an 11 percent drop in customer traffic during the period that The People’s Union USA led a similar action to the one hitting McDonald’s this week.
McDonald’s was one of many companies to roll back DEI efforts following the election of President Donald Trump. In early January, before Trump was sworn in, they cited a “shifting legal landscape” in their decision. Rollbacks included dropping goals to increase diversity among its senior leadership and ending a program that pushed suppliers to engage in diversity training among their own staff.
Schwarz also honed in on McDonald’s notoriously low pay structures for its front-line workers. According to the group leader, the national average pay for its workers is $13.36, a figure slightly higher than what ZipRecruiter reported in 2024. This amounts to about $28,000 annually, assuming full-time hours, and is well below the threshold to afford an average one-bedroom apartment in the U.S. without being rent-burdened.
Union campaigns such as Fight for $15 have fought to unionize shops and raise wages at McDonald’s for over a decade now, but the company has not been friendly toward these efforts. In 2021, a VICE report revealed that it spied on workers involved in the Fight for $15, which sought a $15 minimum wage across the country.
“The entire thing was messed up,” said one former McDonald’s worker. “A company should be working with employees and the people that drive the business, not building an intelligence program directed at reporting on those same people.”
In statements sent to Newsweek, McDonald’s made several claims meant to deny the accusations brought by Schwarz and others. They spoke of generating opportunities and maintaining an undefined commitment to diversity, plus claimed to pay billions in taxes each year.
“McDonald’s provides meaningful work opportunities for over 800,000 restaurant crew, spends millions with local suppliers, and serves as an engine of economic opportunity for local communities,” the company said. “The McDonald’s System also generates billions in federal, state, and local taxes annually, and we’ll continue to pay our fair share.”
Schwarz, however, hit back by pointing out that these flashy numbers don’t stand up to the big picture.
“If serving millions and generating billions truly told the whole story, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” he told Newsweek.
“The truth is, McDonald’s built a global empire off low-wage labor, clever accounting, and aggressive lobbying. They report record profits, nearly $9 billion this year, while many of their workers still can’t afford basic healthcare or rent. That’s not an opportunity. That’s exploitation dressed up as service.”