United States: California legislature passes bill to improve working conditions for fast food workers

The California State Legislature has passed the so-called Fast Recovery Act, which is set to bring about positive changes in the wages and working conditions of half a million workers in the fast food sector. Assembly Bill 257 must now be signed into law by the state’s Democrat governor Gavin Newsom by 30 September. If this comes to pass, a 10-member council, including industry representatives, employees and two state officials, will be responsible for setting minimum standards for the sector in terms of pay, health and safety, and discrimination. The amended text provides for a minimum wage of up to $22 an hour in 2023, with the potential for cost-of-living increases thereafter, while the state-wide minimum will be $15.50 an hour. Leaders of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which supports the law, applaud the sectoral approach. Patricia Campos Medina, director of the Workers Institute at Cornell University, notes how much easier it is to negotiate for an entire industry rather than restaurant by restaurant, as the Starbucks union drive has demonstrated (see article n°12850). Fast food restaurant owners, on the other hand, say that this legislation will drive up prices for customers. “We are pulling the fire alarm,” says Matthew Haller, president of the International Franchise Association, who raises fears of a snowball effect in other states.