A first-of-its-kind council that would set wages and working conditions for fast food workers in California is on hold following legal action from the restaurant lobby.
Save Local Restaurants, a coalition of fast food restaurants funded by the likes of In-N-Out Burgers, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks, is aiming to stop the proposal via a ballot measure in 2024. And it successfully secured a temporary hold on the law last week in California state court while signatures for the referendum are being counted and verified.
State lawmakers created the council with the passage of Assembly Bill 257, also known as the FAST Recovery Act, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on Labor Day. Once implemented, the council would be able to set new rules and regulations like minimum wages and maximum working hours. Such rules could affect roughly 550,000 fast food workers statewide.
Restaurant lobbyists are adamant that the council’s actions would unfairly harm the industry and lead to increased prices for consumers. But labor advocates have heralded the passage of the law as a historic step toward securing a seat at the regulatory table for workers.
With the law on hold and potentially being put to voters, it’s the latest wrinkle in the ongoing workers’ rights movements that seen a bevy of actions nationwide, from widespread unionization to new minimum wage standards.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s happened with AB 257 to date, and what’s at stake.
The FAST...
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