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Free Lunch for City Workers

There is such a thing as a free lunch in Scranton. The free meal during the lunch hour was for all Scranton city workers who were only paid minimum wage on thei...

There is such a thing as a free lunch in Scranton.

The free meal during the lunch hour was for all Scranton city workers who were only paid minimum wage on their last paycheck.

Radio station Rock 107 teamed up with Wegmans to serve up some burgers on courthouse square.

"This is fantastic.  It's so nice to see the community care and be concerned about the employees of the city," said Maggie Perry, a Scranton city employee.

These city workers say after two weeks on low pay, they hope Friday's paycheck will be a full one.

Last paycheck, all workers were paid $7.25 an hour because the mayor said the city had little money.

"It is difficult, like most people, it's like that across the country, we live paycheck to paycheck and unfortunately our paycheck was cut in half," said city worker Melissa McCafferty.

DPW worker Eric Bauer said another week with slashed wages will be a big blow.

"It's tough supporting a kid and my girlfriend and everything, so. She doesn't work. I'm the only one that works in the family, so it's tough," said Bauer.

Rock 107 and Wegmans are teamed up to provide the free lunches to city workers all week, and Rock 107 plans to continue this until the workers get full pay.

"It's been hard.  It will be harder if it continues.  I think the first paycheck was almost like we can deal with this, but if it goes on it will be increasingly more difficult," said Perry.

The radio station isn't the only one supporting the city workers. Even some kids are doing their part.

Beyonce Blasko and Michael Maskao set up a lemonade stand at the intersection of Desales and Bryn Mawr in West Scranton. Raising money for police and firefighters also making minimum wage

"I don't feel good about that.  I feel the mayor is making a big mistake and he should be making a better one," said Blasko.

"Because all the firemen are getting paid $7.25 just like McDonald's workers, were trying to raise money to get them back up to where they're getting paid," said Maskao.

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