Have you heard about what's happening on April 15? Because it's not just Tax Day.
The biggest protest ever to raise the wage is happening on April 15. And Upworthy is covering it all day.
On April 15, 2015, fast-food workers, child care workers, airport workers, and even adjunct professors are joining together all across the United States.
Minimum-wage workers will protest in various cities in the U.S. (and the world!).
They started organizing in November 2012 with only 200 workers in New York City. That grew to over 150 cities and thousands of minimum-wage workers in 2013. In 2014, the thing went global, with actions in 33 countries across six continents.
And what happens in 2015 ... that's up to everybody who participates!
What do they want? A livable wage of $15 an hour and a union. When do they want it? As soon as humanly possible. That's what the Fight for $15 is all about!
So, like, yesterday would be nice.
See, these employees want to make enough to live, not just scrape by.
These are actual fast-food strikers who are living on the minimum wage. Note that they aren't just bored teenagers trying to make a little extra money to pay for Pokemon cards or whatever it is that teenagers are into these days. They are adults.
I just checked my watch and it's minimum-wage fact-o'clock, so let's get real:
- At a whopping 75%, adults are the majority of minimum-wage earners.
- At least 70% of those minimum-wage-earning adults have a high school degree or some college under their belts.
- The majority of adults making minimum wage? Adult women, at 48.5%.
Here's some fancy pie charts to illustrate this point further, just in case you're into pie. Or charts.
Just like this, but tastier and full of facts about the minimum wage. Mmm.
McDonald's made some progress here when it announced a raise for employees earlier this year. But it's not enough.
This might sound like cause for celebration. But what you might not have heard is ... that raise? Well, it's only for corporate workers, not the fast-food crew working down at your local McD's.
Only 10% of McDonald's employees will actually see that raise on their paychecks. That means roughly 1.6 million people will see a remarkable increase of zero whole dollars, folks.
Like, whoa, McDonald's, slow it down with your tons and tons of generosity you've got going on right now, am I right?
So on April 15, people are joining together in the biggest protest yet to demand more ... in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and maybe even your town (if you're not from the previously listed ones, of course).
And Upworthy is going to cover the entire thing. On Twitter. And from the ground. All day.
And we want you to be there with us.
Watch the @Upworthy Twitter account on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, to see live updates of the protests as they happen.
We'll be talking to folks on the ground as well as giving you the rundown with a slew of smart, labor-focused partners on why this is so, so important right now. We might even do a little Q&A in the middle of it all, just like a regular ol' #UpChat. You remember those, right? Those are fun.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."