A California bill that aims to improve and standardize working conditions for fast-food workers will head to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom after winning passage in the state Senate and Assembly on Monday over objections from business interests, which say it unfairly targets the fast-food industry and will drive up food prices.
The centerpiece of Assembly Bill 257, dubbed the Fast Food Recovery Act, is the creation of a state Fast Food Council with the authority to establish standards for wages, working hours and conditions. The council would set aside seats for business and worker representatives.
"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, who is no longer in the Assembly. "They've never had a voice on the job, and traditional organizing hasn't worked."
