On Thursday, tens of thousands of U.S. workers will not go to work due to labor disputes. Among those who will go on strike are thousands of McDonald's workers. This comes at a time when more and more workers are acquiring a sense of empowerment.

For years they have been struggling to reap the gains of the present economic recovery and their new sense of power portends a shift in the political and economic balance between employees and their employers.

Strike organizers said that the work stoppage on Thursday will be the largest yet. They said they would concentrate on picketing McDonald's one of the largest fast food chains in the world. Although workers from this restaurant chain will go on strike, workers from other convenience food outlets will also join them.

Employees from nursing homes and at least those connected with one university will join the group of strikers. But the largest contingent will come from Verizon Communication, the telecom giant with almost 36,000 of its workers quitting their work and joining the McDonald's strike.

On the East Coast, thousands of Verizon workers went on strike on Wednesday after the telecom giant failed to reach an agreement with two labor unions by the 6 a.m. deadline. This is over eight months since workers' contracts expired.

The strike at Verizon Communications is also the largest in recent years. Workers of this company are resisting company proposals to reduce their pension benefits and changes in company rules that make it easier for the telecom giant to outsource its work.

Advocates and supporters for workers, along with other labor-union officials stated that the strikes show the increasing momentum of a movement that has recently won high-stake victories for expanded benefits and higher wages for workers spanning from New York to California.

This issue was so extensive that it has grabbed the attention of the current presidential candidates who are using it as a tool in their campaigns.