Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series exploring the political issues impacting restaurants and shaping the industry’s labor market. Interested in discussing restaurant politics? Email us at [email protected].

The conflicts over the fast food standards council and proposed changes to joint employer rules in California may be the most significant political issues impacting the restaurant industry, but they are not the only ones.

In Washington, D.C, the industry is rallying against the District’s second attempt to end the tip credit. On Capitol Hill, the National Restaurant Association wants to find a path toward reducing credit card swipe fees and increasing legal immigration, moves that would reduce transaction costs for restaurants and boost the supply of labor.

Sean Kennedy, EVP of public affairs for the NRA, discussed these issues with Restaurant Dive in the second part of our Q&A with him. The first part is available here.

Despite shortages of workers, rising costs of borrowing and other issues, Kennedy said, the outlook for restaurants remains positive.

“We’ve got a lot of headwinds and we have a lot of challenges,” Kennedy said. “But we’re doing this with a renewed sense of purpose, and it makes it a great time to be in this industry.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

RESTAURANT DIVE: Politically speaking, how does the industry want to address labor costs and labor supply issues in the next couple...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJlc3RhdXJhbnRkaXZl...