Terrance Wise has two fast-food jobs in Kansas City, but he says his paychecks aren't enough to buy shoes for his three daughters and insure his 15-year-old car. So he walked off work in protest.

Wise was among a few thousand fast-food workers in seven cities who took to the streets last week, demanding better pay, the right to unionize and a more than doubling of the federal minimum hourly wage from $7.25 to $15.

The protests came amid calls from the White House, some members of Congress and economists to raise the federal minimum wage. Most of the proposals, though, seek a more modest rise.

The restaurant industry argues that a $15 hourly wage could lead to businesses closings and fewer jobs.

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