Hundreds of fast-food workers who say they’re enduring wage theft and unsafe work conditions plan to gather at Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday, June, 9, seeking support for a bill that proposes new regulations for the industry.

The noon event is part of a statewide, one-day rally among fast-food employees.

Assembly Bill 257, also known as the “FAST Food Recovery Act,” would create a state-run council to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for the more than 700,000 fast-food workers in California.

The measure was approved by the state Assembly in January and is scheduled to be heard next week in the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee.

Supported by community allies and labor leaders in Los Angeles, the Southern California employees plan to speak out Thursday on wage theft, violence, harassment and discrimination they contend take place on the job.

The Service Employees International Union is pushing for passage of AB 257 as part of its “Fight for $15 and a Union” campaign. Los Angeles adopted a $15 minimum wage in 2015 and California followed suit in 2016, but unionization in the industry has been elusive.

Opposition to the bill

Some are not so quick to support AB 257.

The California Restaurant Association says California has some of the nation’s strictest worker protection laws. The organization said the state should instead fund its backlogged wage theft and workplace violation investigators.

“We believe the system is set up to be robust...

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