Protesters gathered outside Faneuil Hall

BOSTON – Dozens of protesters have gathered outside Faneuil Hall in an effort to increase wages for service industry workers.

These protesters are part of a national movement called The Fight for $15 an Hour. The workers say what they do matters, and they want a wage that reflects that.

"Not only is our fight connected to to everyone else in the city, it's connected to everyone else nationwide facing the same struggles we're facing," said airport worker Kheila Cox. "We want to be able to create a stronger America by being able to raise the limit on the pay."

The hundreds protesting in Boston represent workers in nursing homes, the fast food industry, home care, restaurants, and transportation. In addition to wage increases, they would like the right to unionize.

In Massachusetts, minimum wage is $9 an hour, with an expected $1 increase in the next 2 years.

Earlier Tuesday, protesters spent more than 20 minutes blocking train service in Boston.

The protests first gathered at Northeastern for several causes, faculty standing and raising the minimum wage chief among them.

After that the group walked onto the E Line tracks for a more than 15 minutes, halting service in both directions, before getting onto a bus to join others in the Faneuil Hall area.

Tuesday morning, a demonstration started around  6 a.m. outside of a McDonald's on Gallivan Boulevard in Dorchester.

>> READ MORE: Protesters in Boston striking for higher wages

Organizers chose Tuesday because it is exactly one year before the 2016 presidential election.

Cox Media Group