McDonald’s boycott launched over prices, pay and diversity backlash

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McDonald’s is facing renewed scrutiny as a grassroots advocacy group launches a nationwide boycott of the chain, running from June 24 to 30.

The campaign, led by The People’s Union USA, seeks to hold the corporation accountable on multiple fronts, including alleged price gouging, tax evasion, unfair labour practices and a recent rollback of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

The boycott, which began today, is the latest in a series of consumer-led economic actions organised by The People’s Union, a self-described “grassroots movement focused on economic resistance, corporate accountability and real justice for the working class.”

In a statement posted to Instagram, the group said:

This is about more than burgers and fries. This is about power. When we unite and hit corporations in their wallets, they listen.”

“Profit matters more than people”

Since February, The People’s Union has led boycotts targeting Amazon, Walmart and Target, along with broader “economic blackouts” urging Americans to avoid major retailers, streaming services and fast-food chains in favour of local small businesses.

Now, McDonald’s is firmly in the group’s sights. Organiser and founder of the group John Schwarz told USA TODAY:

We’re boycotting McDonald’s because they’ve shown time and time again that profit matters more than people, from price gouging to tax evasion, from inequality in pay to exploitation in advertising.

And yes, their DEI efforts feel more like promotional stunts than real systemic change. We’re done funding companies that pretend to stand for something while doing nothing.”

Ongoing challenges for McDonald’s

The boycott comes at a sensitive time for McDonald’s. The company is still dealing with the fallout from a 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounders. In January, it also faced sharp criticism for scaling back its DEI initiatives. These changes included dropping “aspirational representational goals” in hiring, ending participation in third-party workplace surveys and rebranding its Diversity Team as the “Global Inclusion Team.”

Despite these moves, McDonald’s maintains that its commitment to diversity remains strong. Earlier this month, Jordann Nunn, Chief Field People Officer, said:

We changed some of the language that we’ve used around it, but at the core, none of our programming has changed. We have no intention of doing that.”

Critics remain unconvinced. The People’s Union argues that McDonald’s actions reflect a broader corporate trend of rolling back progress under the guise of policy refinement.

The group has also hinted at upcoming actions against other major corporations. A nationwide “economic blackout” is scheduled for July, followed by month-long boycotts targeting Starbucks, Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart and Lowe’s. McDonald’s is also included in the August boycott list.

New Food has reached out to McDonald’s for comment.