Fast-food workers make $20 an hour. California’s other low-wage earners ask: What about us?
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Fast-food workers make $20 an hour. California’s other low-wage earners ask: What about us?

LA Times  

Some California workers are calling for a statewide $20 minimum wage, as Los Angeles in-home support staff pictured above called for in 2022. Between insurance, utilities, rent and labor costs, we’re going to see restaurants go down like dominoes this year.” A bill making its way through the Legislature by Assemblymember Ash Kalra would require California to conduct a study on raising the minimum wage, calling the current rate “wholly inadequate.” The so-called study bill also asks the state to reconsider raising wages of incarcerated workers, some who make $2 an hour and work as firefighters. “Sometimes it’s easier when you focus in on a particular industry; however, in order to create some sense of equity, I think it’s good to create one higher minimum wage that makes sense,” Kalra said. Housing in California’s major metro areas is “unaffordable even for workers with wages well above the minimum wage,” the report said. “In the most basic sense, the statewide minimum wage is much higher than a ‘poverty wage.’ At the same time, the state’s high housing costs make it extremely difficult for many low-wage workers to make ends meet,” the report said.

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History of this topic

Letters to the Editor: Higher minimum wage hurts the fast-food industry? Maybe that’s a good thing
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Letters to the Editor: Higher minimum wage hurts the fast-food industry? Maybe that’s a good thing

LA Times  

To the editor: I think it’s important to know that decades ago, there were far fewer fast-food restaurants than there are now. Now, there are an abundance of these places that serve “what the public wants.” Low wages helped drive this trend — and created a workforce to supply the industry’s labor needs. So maybe it’s a good thing that …

California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high USD 18 per hour
1 month ago

California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high USD 18 per hour

Live Mint  

Sacramento, Nov 20 Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state minimum wage to USD 18 per hour by 2026, the highest in the country. The current minimum wage rates are USD 16 per hour for most workers and USD 20 in the fast-food sector. The health care sector will eventually see its minimum …

California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour
1 month ago

California voters reject measure that would have raised minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026, the highest in the country. The current minimum wage rates are $16 per hour for most workers and $20 in the fast-food sector. The health care sector will eventually see its minimum wage reach $25 …

Proposition 32 was just rejected. In blue California, why did the minimum-wage boost fail?
1 month ago

Proposition 32 was just rejected. In blue California, why did the minimum-wage boost fail?

LA Times  

A worker stocks grocery items at Northgate Market in Los Angeles. “It’s too much, too fast for the industry to absorb.” California had a recent real-world case study in raising the minimum wage to consider, which may have factored into voters’ decision-making: In April, the state’s fast-food workers saw their pay jump to a minimum of $20 an hour, an …

Prop. 32, measure to increase minimum wage to $18 an hour, trails in early polls
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Prop. 32, measure to increase minimum wage to $18 an hour, trails in early polls

LA Times  

Proposition 32, which would have raised the minimum wage to $17 immediately for larger employers and to $18 starting in January 2025. A measure to increase California’s minimum wage to $18 was trailing according to early polling results as of Tuesday night but remained too close to call. Early results showed a slight majority of voters statewide opposed Proposition 32, …

Californians uncertain about Proposition 32, which would boost minimum wage to $18, poll finds
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Californians uncertain about Proposition 32, which would boost minimum wage to $18, poll finds

LA Times  

Just under half of California voters support Proposition 32, the measure to increase California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour, a warning sign about its fate in next week’s election, according to new polling results released Friday. Forty-seven percent of likely voters and those who have already cast ballots backed the measure, according to a survey from the UC Berkeley …

California's Minimum Wage to Reach $18 an Hour: A Heated Debate
1 month, 3 weeks ago

California's Minimum Wage to Reach $18 an Hour: A Heated Debate

CNN  

California voters will decide this election whether to increase the state's minimum wage to $18 an hour. The measure, known as Proposition 32, would raise the threshold to $17 for the rest of 2024 and then to $18 in January for employers with more than 25 workers. Smaller employers would have to pay a minimum of $17 next year and …

Arizona and Massachusetts to Decide on Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
2 months ago

Arizona and Massachusetts to Decide on Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers

Associated Press  

Two states will decide in November whether to allow businesses to pay tipped workers, like food servers, bartenders and bellhops, less than the minimum wage as long as customer tips make up the difference. In Arizona, Proposition 138 would allow tipped workers to make 25% less than the regular minimum wage, while in Massachusetts, One Fair Wage is proposing to …

Should the minimum wage be lower for workers who get tipped? Two states are set to decide
2 months ago

Should the minimum wage be lower for workers who get tipped? Two states are set to decide

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “You have no security when …

California health care workers get a pay bump under a new minimum wage law
2 months, 1 week ago

California health care workers get a pay bump under a new minimum wage law

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Column: The latest info on California’s $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers — higher pay, no job losses and minimal price hikes
2 months, 1 week ago

Column: The latest info on California’s $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers — higher pay, no job losses and minimal price hikes

LA Times  

McDonald’s prices haven’t significantly risen since California raised its fast-food minimum wage to $20 an hour on April 1. Gavin Newsom on the state’s $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers Two new analyses of the actual wage and price impacts of the $20-per-hour minimum have appeared this month. Fast-food employment in California rose after April’s minimum wage increase, often faster …

Endorsement: Yes on Proposition 32. California’s minimum wage needs a boost
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Endorsement: Yes on Proposition 32. California’s minimum wage needs a boost

LA Times  

California has an affordability crisis, with millions of people struggling to get by as prices for housing, groceries, gasoline, utilities, child care and other necessities skyrocket. The measure would increase the state’s $16-an-hour minimum wage — which is set to rise to $16.50 on Jan. 1 under current law — to $18 on Jan. 1 for companies with 26 or …

Higher prices, lower turnover, more workers: The reality of California's $20 fast-food minimum wage
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Higher prices, lower turnover, more workers: The reality of California's $20 fast-food minimum wage

Salon  

When California governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1228 — legislation which raised the state hourly minimum wage for fast-food employees from $15.50 to $20 — into law last September, members of the fast-food industry were left with a lot of questions before the bill officially went into effect on April 1. “I pay them as much as I can, but …

Kamala Harris could make history as the first president to work at McDonald’s
4 months, 1 week ago

Kamala Harris could make history as the first president to work at McDonald’s

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Harris mentioned her brief stint on the fryer …

California fast food workers now earn $20 per hour. Franchisees are responding by cutting hours
5 months, 1 week ago

California fast food workers now earn $20 per hour. Franchisees are responding by cutting hours

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Lawrence Cheng, whose family owns seven Wendy’s locations south of Los Angeles, took orders at the register on a recent day and emptied steaming hot baskets of French fries and chicken nuggets, salting them with a flourish. Joseph Bryant, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union, which pushed for the raise, said the industry has …

L.A. fast-food workers may get a helping hand from City Council
5 months, 3 weeks ago

L.A. fast-food workers may get a helping hand from City Council

LA Times  

Fast-food workers have long complained of unstable schedules that make it difficult to plan their finances, child care, medical appointments and other obligations. The proposal, which Soto-Martinez plans to introduce as a motion Tuesday, seeks to expand the reach of the city’s Fair Work Week law — which requires that employers give retail workers their schedules in advance — to …

California Democrats agree to delay health care worker minimum wage increase to help balance budget
6 months ago

California Democrats agree to delay health care worker minimum wage increase to help balance budget

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Democrats in California have agreed to delay a minimum wage increase for about 426,000 health care workers to help balance the state’s budget. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders is part of a larger plan to close an estimated $46.8 billion shortfall — the second year in a row the nation’s most populous state has had a multibillion-dollar …

In-N-Out G prices hike as California enforces new minimum wage for fast-food workers
6 months, 1 week ago

In-N-Out G prices hike as California enforces new minimum wage for fast-food workers

Hindustan Times  

The new state policy of California is not sitting well with the USP of In-N-Out of providing low-cost fast food meals to its customers. California announced a new state policy which stated mandated a minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast-food workers. An In-N-Out fast food chain restaurant increased prices due to California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers. …

Hiltzik: How the fast-food industry uses deceptive employment numbers
6 months, 1 week ago

Hiltzik: How the fast-food industry uses deceptive employment numbers

LA Times  

The fast-food industry has been wringing its hands over the devastating impact on its business from California’s new minimum wage law for its workers. That brings us back to the claim that job losses among California’s fast-food restaurants are due to the new minimum wage law. The article stated that employment in California’s fast-food and “other limited-service eateries was 726,600 …

Popular pizza chain joins other businesses in fleeing California
6 months, 1 week ago

Popular pizza chain joins other businesses in fleeing California

Daily Mail  

A popular pizza chain is joining other businesses in leaving California to avoid the state's high taxes and cut costs. The move comes as beloved chains have been shuttering restaurants across California over the minimum wage controversy- including Mexican Rubio's Coastal Grill, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed 48 locations in the state. The tongue-in-cheek advert, titled 'In …

The shocking state of the restaurant industry: ‘We can’t afford to be open. We can’t afford to be closed.’
7 months, 1 week ago

The shocking state of the restaurant industry: ‘We can’t afford to be open. We can’t afford to be closed.’

LA Times  

In October, Lauren and Peter Lemos locked the doors of their Chinatown sandwich shop for what they thought would be the last time. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1228, the new California law that increased minimum wage for fast-food chain workers by nearly 25%, bumping hourly pay to $20 for restaurant locations with more than 60 outposts in the U.S. “Gas …

Fast food chains are raising their prices after raising minimum wage
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Fast food chains are raising their prices after raising minimum wage

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

Small-business owners brace for uncertainty as $20 hourly fast-food wage takes effect
8 months, 1 week ago

Small-business owners brace for uncertainty as $20 hourly fast-food wage takes effect

LA Times  

Justin Foronda, founder/owner of Hifi Kitchen in Los Angeles says he supports a higher minimum wage and tries to pay his employees generously, but the minimum wage is rising so fast that the increased compensation he planned to offer as a retention strategy quickly becomes the new minimum. But with California’s new minimum wage for fast-food workers taking effect this …

California’s $20 minimum wage law has workers, franchisees and politicians divided
8 months, 2 weeks ago

California’s $20 minimum wage law has workers, franchisees and politicians divided

Salon  

California’s $20 minimum-wage mandate officially went into effect on April 1, much to the dismay of major franchisees and Republican critics. The restaurants’ owner, Brian Hom, told the WSJ that he is “definitely not going to hire anymore.” AB 1228 is essentially a collective deal between state lawmakers, labor unions and franchisees following a months-long battle regarding a wage increase …

California schools forced to compete with fast food industry for workers after minimum wage hike
8 months, 2 weeks ago

California schools forced to compete with fast food industry for workers after minimum wage hike

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lost in the hubbub surrounding California’s new $20-per-hour minimum wage for fast food workers is how that raise could impact public schools, forcing districts to compete with the likes of McDonald’s and Wendy’s for cafeteria workers amid a state budget crunch. Last year, the Sacramento Unified School District — anticipating the law’s passage — agreed to a …

Letters to the Editor: Upset over California’s $20 wage? Wait until you see what fast-food CEOs make
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: Upset over California’s $20 wage? Wait until you see what fast-food CEOs make

LA Times  

To the editor: In 2022, Chipotle’s chief executive received bonus pay worth nearly twice his annual salary. We should be asking why they’re not cutting back on these exorbitant bonuses to help pay their workers a livable wage instead of passing the buck to customers or threatening to cut staff. Just your run-of-the-mill Vons or Stater Bros. It’s negligent — …

California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers triggers nearly $2 price bump in many joints
8 months, 2 weeks ago

California's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers triggers nearly $2 price bump in many joints

Hindustan Times  

Fast food aficionados in California might feel the pinch in their wallets as they discover the cost of their favourite meals has climbed. REUTERS/Carlos Barria On Monday, a newly passed state law, which requires a minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast food workers, came into power. It seems like a reasonable amount.” Conversely, another one expressed his discontent …

Fast-food wage hike puts Democrats on defense as Californians worry about cost of living
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Fast-food wage hike puts Democrats on defense as Californians worry about cost of living

LA Times  

Big fast-food chains including McDonald’s must now pay at least $20 an hour in California. “If it’s for a few dollars more, I don’t know.” The fast-food wage law kicks in as state lawmakers debate how to drive down Californians’ notoriously high electricity bills and grapple with an insurance crisis that is raising costs for many homeowners. “It’s already too …

Your guide to California’s new $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast food workers
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Your guide to California’s new $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast food workers

LA Times  

McDonald’s is among various fast food chains that will be paying their workers the new $20-an-hour minimum wage. New council Along with the higher minimum wage, the new law established a Fast Food Council — composed of business and labor representatives — that has the authority to set future pay increases and develop standards on working conditions and employee safety …

New $20 minimum wage for fast food workers in California is set to start Monday
8 months, 3 weeks ago

New $20 minimum wage for fast food workers in California is set to start Monday

Associated Press  

LIVERMORE, Calif. — Most fast food workers in California will be paid at least $20 an hour beginning Monday when a new law is scheduled to kick in giving more financial security to an historically low-paying profession while threatening to raise prices in a state already known for its high cost of living. “Because I would not have been looking …

Higher prices on the menu as fast-food chains brace for California’s big minimum wage jump
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Higher prices on the menu as fast-food chains brace for California’s big minimum wage jump

LA Times  

Major fast-food chains — including, clockwise from top left, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Chipotle, Jack in the Box and Shake Shack — plan to raise menu prices after California’s minimum wage for fast-food workers increases to $20 an hour on April 1. “This is such a dramatic increase on a state minimum wage that was already quite high,” said Harry Holzer, a …

California governor pushes back against criticism of fast food minimum wage law
9 months, 3 weeks ago

California governor pushes back against criticism of fast food minimum wage law

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has denied a news report that he pushed for an exception to the state’s new fast-food minimum wage law that benefits a wealthy campaign donor. Flynn said in a statement Thursday that he opposed the initial legislation and suggested fast casual restaurants like bakeries, bagel shops and delis be excluded “if the …

California Pizza Hut franchises to lay off more than 1,100 delivery drivers ahead of wage hike
11 months, 3 weeks ago

California Pizza Hut franchises to lay off more than 1,100 delivery drivers ahead of wage hike

LA Times  

More than 1,100 Pizza Hut delivery workers are set to be laid off ahead of California’s mandated pay increase for fast-food workers. Ahead of statewide minimum wage increases for fast-food workers, hundreds of California Pizza Hut franchises announced cuts in their delivery services, laying off more than 1,100 drivers, according to federal and state filings. It wasn’t immediately clear whether …

Minimum-wage workers in these California cities are getting a raise in 2024
1 year ago

Minimum-wage workers in these California cities are getting a raise in 2024

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom signs the fast-food bill, surrounded by fast food workers at the SEIU Local 721 in Los Angeles, in September. Workers at fast-food restaurants and in minimum-wage jobs can expect a pay bump soon, courtesy of higher wage floors adopted by California lawmakers and more than two dozen cities across the state. In California, the minimum wage is currently …

California Gov. Newsom signs law to slowly raise health care workers’ minimum wage to $25 per hour
1 year, 2 months ago

California Gov. Newsom signs law to slowly raise health care workers’ minimum wage to $25 per hour

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will raise the minimum wage for health care workers to $25 per hour over the next decade under a new law Democratic Gov. The wage increase for health care workers reflects a carefully crafted compromise in the final days of the legislative session between the health care industry and labor unions to avoid some expensive ballot …

California healthcare workers to get $25 an hour after Newsom approves historic minimum wage
1 year, 2 months ago

California healthcare workers to get $25 an hour after Newsom approves historic minimum wage

LA Times  

Healthcare workers fought for $25 per hour in Los Angeles, a minimum wage that will go statewide starting in 2026. Many California healthcare workers — from nursing assistants and medical coders to cleaners and security guards — will see at least $25 an hour starting in 2026 after Gov. “Today California is putting a stop to the hemorrhaging of our …

California raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour
1 year, 2 months ago

California raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour

Salon  

According to a new report from the Associated Press, California will raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour. Prior to the increase, California already boasted one of the highest minimum wages in the U.S. at $15.50 per hour. The current wage oftentimes puts the bulk of fast food workers below the poverty line level of …

California Raises Minimum Wage For Fast Food Workers To $20 Per Hour
1 year, 2 months ago

California Raises Minimum Wage For Fast Food Workers To $20 Per Hour

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California fast food workers will be paid at least $20 per hour next year under a new law signed Thursday by Democratic Gov. California’s fast food workers earn an average of $16.60 per hour, or just over $34,000 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In California, most fast food workers …

New California law raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour, among nation’s highest
1 year, 2 months ago

New California law raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour, among nation’s highest

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new law in California will raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour next year, an acknowledgment from the state’s Democratic leaders that most of the often overlooked workforce are the primary earners for their low-income households. “We have the opportunity to reward that contribution, reward that sacrifice and stabilize an industry.” …

Will California health workers get a $25 minimum wage? Legislature sends bill to Newsom after long fight
1 year, 3 months ago

Will California health workers get a $25 minimum wage? Legislature sends bill to Newsom after long fight

LA Times  

Healthcare workers rally outside the Hospital Assn. Under the bill, workers at large healthcare facilities would earn $23 per hour starting next year, $24 per hour in 2025 and $25 in 2026. “But somebody has to pay for that increase.” The bill had originally aimed to increase wages for all eligible health workers next year — impacting an estimated 469,000 …

California fast food and health care workers poised to win major salary increases
1 year, 3 months ago

California fast food and health care workers poised to win major salary increases

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nearly 1 million California workers are poised to win major salary increases after labor unions flexed their collective muscle in the state’s Democratic-led Legislature on Monday following a summer of high-profile strikes in the entertainment and hospitality industries. Most of the state’s 500,000 fast food workers would be paid at least $20 per hour next year under …

California's law aimed at fast food wages is on hold. Lawmakers may have found a way around it
1 year, 5 months ago

California's law aimed at fast food wages is on hold. Lawmakers may have found a way around it

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new California law aimed …

Low wages, short hours drive many fast-food workers into homelessness
1 year, 7 months ago

Low wages, short hours drive many fast-food workers into homelessness

LA Times  

Fast-food workers protest for a $15 hourly minimum wage outside a McDonald’s restaurant in East Los Angeles in 2021. “It was either my car and eat, or rent.” De la Torre’s situation is not uncommon among current and recent fast-food workers, who make up 11% of all homeless workers in California and 9% in Los Angeles County, according to a …

Push in states for $20 minimum wage as inflation persists
1 year, 8 months ago

Push in states for $20 minimum wage as inflation persists

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — Just years after labor activists persuaded a handful of states to raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour, workers initially thrilled with the pay bump are finding their hard-won gains erased by inflation. A bill in New York would raise the state’s minimum wage to $21.25 by 2026, and then adjust it each year going forward …

California lawmakers approve landmark fast food workers bill
2 years, 3 months ago

California lawmakers approve landmark fast food workers bill

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers on Monday approved a nation-leading measure that would give more than a half-million fast food workers more power and protections, over the objections of restaurant owners who warn it would drive up consumers’ costs. “We made history today,” said Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry, calling it “a watershed moment.” “This legislation is …

California Legislature passes bill to protect fast-food workers
2 years, 3 months ago

California Legislature passes bill to protect fast-food workers

LA Times  

Under the Fast Food Recovery Act, a council would be authorized to set the minimum wage and regulate working conditions for fast-food workers. “We’re looking to give workers a voice on the job, and for workers in the fast-food industry, which will continue to try to organize, it’s tough,” said former legislator Lorena Gonzalez, the original author of the bill, …

California weighs rules giving fast food workers more power
2 years, 3 months ago

California weighs rules giving fast food workers more power

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Since she came to California from Mexico 24 years ago, Maria Bernal has been supporting her family by often working two jobs at fast food restaurants. The proposal awaiting final action before the California Legislature adjourns Wednesday would create a new Fast Food Council made up of four workers’ delegates alongside four employers’ representatives and two state …

Measure to hike California’s minimum wage to $18 fails to qualify for November election
2 years, 5 months ago

Measure to hike California’s minimum wage to $18 fails to qualify for November election

LA Times  

California voters will not get a chance in November to vote on whether to increase the minimum wage to $18 an hour. The minimum wage initiative was not among seven measures that had enough valid signatures to qualify for the general election ballot by Thursday’s deadline, according to the California secretary of state. California’s minimum wage for all employers is …

Minimum wage in L.A. rises to $16.04 an hour beginning today
2 years, 5 months ago

Minimum wage in L.A. rises to $16.04 an hour beginning today

LA Times  

As of today, the minimum wage rises to $16.04 an hour in the city of Los Angeles and $15.96 in unincorporated L.A. County. Workers in unincorporated L.A. County will Efforts to increase the minimum wage were spearheaded by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who announced the city’s hike in February. “Our decision to end poverty wages in L.A. caused a ripple …

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