New California law raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour
New California law raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour
I’m guessing the nominal justification may be ‘because fast food workers don’t get tips’, but the actual reason is in the article. In short, the fast food workers unions were getting somewhere:
Newsom’s signature reflects the power and influence of labor unions in the nation’s most populous state, which have worked to organize fast food workers in an attempt to improve their wages and working conditions.
It also settles — for now, at least — a fight between labor and business groups over how to regulate the industry. In exchange for higher pay, labor unions have dropped their attempt to make fast food corporations liable for the misdeeds of their independent franchise operators in California, an action that could have upended the business model on which the industry is based. The industry, meanwhile, has agreed to pull a referendum related to worker wages off the 2024 ballot.
[…]
Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union International, said the law capped 10 years of work — including 450 strikes across the state in the past two years.
Service Employees International Union International
Why the double international?
The new minimum wage for fast food workers will apply to restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide, with an exception for restaurants that make and sell their own bread, like Panera Bread.
Maybe, but that would have logistical costs, and would Garner them bad press because they are obviously trying to avoid the law.
The kicker is, if all their competitors have to pay $20 and they do get the exception, it’s going to be hard to hire anyone because they are going to be the only restaurant paying less than $20.
Maybe, but that would have logistical costs, and would garner them bad press because they are obviously trying to avoid the law.
The kicker is, if all their competitors have to pay $20 and they do get the exception, it’s going to be hard to hire anyone because they are going to be the only restaurant paying less than $20.
That bread exception hits a lot of places. Most decent sandwich, pizza and bagel shops would be exempt.
Seems a strange carve out. I’d like to know where it came from, and what the logic behind it is.
I find that people that say this are the kind of people who won’t pay a liveable price for products either though
If a small business is offering a good meal for $30, and a big chain is offering a poor quality substitute for $20, the vast majority opt to line the pockets of billionaires while moaning about the prices of the small businesses
They said it’s going to be hard to compete with fast food restaurants for employees, not that they are going to be regulated by this directly.
They’re right, when Jack in the Box and other businesses have to pay this, retail and other services industry jobs will be forced to raise their wages to watch their employees move to fast food.
That’s why I like this law, because all workers (not just fast food) will benefit from higher wages.
They said it’s going to be hard to compete with fast food restaurants for employees, not that they are going to be regulated by this directly.
They’re right, when Jack in the Box and other businesses have to pay this, retail and other services industry jobs will be forced to raise their wages or watch their employees move to fast food.
That’s why I like this law, because all workers (not just fast food) will benefit from higher wages.