McStrike! Collective action frames and (political) opportunity: McDonald's and the UK fast-food rights campaign

The article examines the development of the UK ‘Fast-Food Rights Campaign’ and the formation of a collective identity amongst McDonald’s UK workers. We illustrate how, despite an acquiescent and fragmented workforce, workers diagnostically frame (recognize, articulate and attribute) perceived injustices relating to their pay and working conditions. However, our main focus is on prognostic framing which brings people ‘together’ to find a ‘consensus’ for a solution to perceived injustices and requires the ability to process and interpret information in a holistic way and, to reach out for support to external stakeholders such as trade unions. We apply Bourdieu’s theory of capital and the concept of political opportunity to help us ‘unpick’ prognostic framing. In this context, we examine the cultural and social capital of worker leaders, in particular their personal properties and, their perceptions about the level of support in the external environment.