Washington, December 5 (RHC)-- American fast-food workers and other minimum wage earners have walked off their jobs, demanding better working conditions. Employees working at major fast-food chains, including McDonald's and Burger King, staged protests on Thursday in more than 190 cities across the United States as the movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour reached a two-year anniversary.

First time, workers from convenience stores and markets in 24 cities also joined the striking protesters, the Fight for $15 campaign said in a statement. Workers say the current federal minimum hourly wage of $7.25 does not come close to keeping them out of poverty.

"Every day I look my kids in the face and they realize we live in poverty. They are the reason I fight," said Terrence Wise, a 35-year-old father of three who is paid $9.30 an hour.

American fast-food workers began their protests two years ago as part of an ongoing campaign to demand pay of $15 an hour and the right to unionize. The efforts began with 200 workers in New York City in November 2012 and have since become a regular occurrence across the US every three or four months.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the average hourly wage for restaurant workers was $8.74 as of May 2013.