California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law raising the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour. The raise takes effect April 1.

    • zero_gravitas@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      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.

  • neomis
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    1 year ago

    I don’t understand why fast food needs its own minimum wage but I’m here for $20/hr in CA.

    • zero_gravitas@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      Would have been better if it was just the minimum wage in general that was raised, of course, but pay rises in one industry will push up pay in others, and hopefully this union victory will help to motivate union efforts in other industries.

      • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I hope it does. I don’t even care that they’ll be right next to my pay and I have a degree. My boss wouldn’t pay me more regardless. I worry its too little too late. And I worry that it might not, and other essential staff like janitorial will suffer.

  • Klystron
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    1 year ago

    What counts as fast food? Only places with a drive thru? Does chipotle? Baja fresh? Farmer Boys? Local mom and pop joints? I wonder who makes that decision and how it’s made.

    • RedNight@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      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.

      • Batbro
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        1 year ago

        Everyone is about to make their own buns lol

      • Steve@communick.news
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        1 year ago

        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.

  • PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This guy is fucking ridiculous. He’s overreaching his boundaries on every possible level. I own a small business, we’re barely making ends meet as it is, and now it’s going to be impossible for me to compete with fucking Jack in the box for employees.

    • Holyginz@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If you can’t afford to pay a liveable wage then you can’t afford to stay in business.

      • Mr_Blott@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        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

        • Holyginz@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That would be because the people buying the meals also need to be getting paid a liveable wage to be able to afford the better meal. People don’t choose worse food by choice if they can afford the good food.