Working in fast food has always been stigmatized as a job for teenagers or college kids home for the summer instead of an industry that workers can make a living in. This, despite the fact that most people who work in the industry are adults, and nearly 1 in 4 have some type of college degree already. In California, fast food workers are finally going to be treated as the essential cogs of the economy that they are: On Labor Day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, which will raise the minimum wage for these workers and provide new, industry-wide protections.
Under the law, fast food workers in California will be guaranteed a minimum wage of $22 per hour, which will go into effect starting in 2023 — a significant boost over the state’s current minimum wage of $15 per hour. In 2024, fast food companies will be required to continue increasing the minimum wage to keep up with inflation.
