The California Legislature is back in session after its annual summer recess, and over the course of this month, there will be hearings on hundreds of measures. Those include one that is a direct assault on the restaurant industry, as well as working families dealing with the dramatic rise in costs for the goods and services they rely on.
Assembly Bill 257 – known as the “FAST Act” – has been pushed through the legislative process under the guise of helping California workers in the counter-service restaurant community.
If enacted, the bill – sponsored by the Service Employees International Union – would set aside existing labor laws in favor of new rules developed and enforced by 13 unelected political appointees with zero oversight.
Proponents are pushing the idea that this measure is necessary because the limited-service restaurant industry is allegedly more prone to labor law violations than other industries. That’s their story, but they’ve yet to present any credible data to support their hypothesis.
One thing we can say with certainty is, given the composition of this council, labor costs would certainly rise, and at least part of those costs would be passed onto consumers in the form of even higher prices. A typical individual spends $1,200 per year on fast casual restaurants, and prices on ingredients and supplies are going up. As a consequence, the damaging inflation that all Californians are experiencing will become worse with the FAST Act.
In a typical...
CYBERJAYA, April 15 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is investigating an individual suspected of spreading false news that Malaysia supplied 329,000 barrels of diese...