About a hundred people circled the parking lot of Wendy’s on a major street in Roslindale on Thursday. For about an hour, they held signs with red letters that read "Strike For Higher Wages" in English and Spanish.

These fast food workers say they want a pay bump - from around $8 dollars per hour to $15 per hour. Dunkin' Donuts worker Jennifer Jimenez, of Revere, joined workers from McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Popeye’s, and other fast food chains in taking the day off and rallying at various restaurants - from Dorchester to the Boston Common. 

Jiminez said she hopes the walkouts- which were staged across the nation on Thursday- will have impact.

“When we leave these places we don’t just leave. We gotta let them know that if they don’t do what they’re supposed to do we’ll be back. We’ll be back. We’ll be back,” she said.

Employees at the Dunkin' Donuts are supposed to get a raise of $.25 every six months, according to Jiminez.

“If we’re supposed to get raises every six months or every year we should automatically get it, we shouldn’t have to beg to get it," she said.

Jimenez said she works about 20 hours a week at $8.50 per hour. She said she’d like to earn $11 per hour.

“It’s stressful. They expect us to go over and beyond for them," she said. "I’m a sandwich maker, I’m an order taker and I’m a cashier.”

Marlon Washington, of Mass United, organized the day. He said they aren’t asking people to stop eating at these restaurants. 

“It’s just not one of them, it’s all of them that are doing the same thing," he said. "It’s about having face-to-face conversations with workers, listening to them, letting them tell us their stories. They’re fighting out here today for a contract, the right to organize without getting fired."

Washington emphasized that low-wage jobs account for the bulk of new jobs added in the recession recovery, and retail and fast food are among the fastest growing sectors. 

Inside the Wendy’s and a McDonald’s just off the American Legion Highway in Roslindale it was quiet, but there were some workers on duty. Managers declined to comment.

There haven’t been statements issued from corporate headquarters, but it’s important to remember that individual franchise owners are the ones who determine wages for workers.