Fast food workers showed up at Los Angeles City Hall Tuesday with a renewed call for council members to approve the Fast Food Fair Work Ordinance.
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The council is exploring an ordinance that would give workers more stable scheduling and paid time off, among other things. It would also mandate a six-hour paid training period to educate fast food workers on their rights.
The proposed policy has received push back from a coalition of restaurant owners, business groups and quick-service restaurant brands. They say it would drive-up food costs and threaten the viability of local food establishments.
Workers rallied Tuesday to urge corporations and elected officials to address wage theft, discrimination and other labor law violations that they say run rampant in the fast food industry.
They also highlighted the findings of a new report from the Workplace Justice Lab at Rutgers University and Northwestern University.
Data show that one in four fast food workers were paid below the minimum wage in 2024. A significant amount of fast food workers experienced wage theft -- much more compared to other major industries in Los Angeles such as health care support, retail and transportation, the study said.
Additionally, the report said that L.A. fast food workers lose almost $3,500 a year or 16% of their income because employers pay them below the minimum...
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