Hundreds of low-wage workers walked off the job in Chicago on Wednesday to call for an increased hourly wage and the right to form a union without intimidation. Beginning at dawn with a rally at Chicago’s Union Station, the strike hit retail and fast food giants including McDonald’s, Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret and Sears. Calling for a wage hike to $15 an hour, the workers moved through Chicago’s shopping district with a chant of “We can’t survive on $8.25.” Lorraine Chavez of the Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago said low-wage workers are being overburdened with substandard pay.

Lorraine Chavez: “Many workers have two or three jobs, and they are still qualified for poverty-level assistance like food stamps and rental assistance. So they’re working full-time, and they’re simply unable to even pay for the bare necessities of life.”

More than 400 workers took part in a similar one-day strike in New York City earlier this month.