California fast food workers will be paid at least $20 per hour next year under a new law signed Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

When it takes effect on April 1, fast food workers in the state will have among the highest minimum wages in the country, according to data compiled by the University of California-Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. The state's minimum wage for all other workers is at $15.50 per hour and is already among the highest in the nation.

Newsom's signature on Thursday reflects the power and influence of labor unions in the nation's most populous state, which have worked to organize fast food workers in an attempt to improve their wages and working conditions.

  • PLAVAT🧿S@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    The raise takes effect on April 1 and applies to workers at restaurants that have at least 60 locations nationwide — with an exception for restaurants that make and sell their own bread, like Panera Bread.

    Where did you get 20? And does your point about minimum locations make sense with also bringing up local joints who are explicitly exempt given said minimum?

    Edit: I see, are you saying that small businesses won't be able to compete with this new wage minimum? Valid point there.

    • betwixthewires@lemmy.basedcount.com
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      1 year ago

      My bad, 60. That's even better. To get the good pay you have to work for a big corporation.

      Yeah, the "exempt" ones will be in a situation where they'll have to raise pay above what they can afford, thus going out of business, or have high turnover and high employee resentment. The end result of all of this is of course more big multinational control over the fast food industry.

      • Deceptichum@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Yeah the obvious solution to stop big businesses is removing all regulations. Once everyone is all getting paid below minimum wage, wages will magically go up and they’ll be better off.

        • betwixthewires@lemmy.basedcount.com
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          1 year ago

          I never said anything about removing all regulations.

          Just, think about the downstream impact of what you're doing. This one's fucking econ 101 level obvious, there's a meme about shit this obvious involving a bicycle and a stick. There's got to be a better, more well thought out idea. Here's one off the top of my head: a 0.1% additional business tax for every location above 10 in the state that goes towards housing assistance for food service workers. That's a win win; either you get more business diversity in the state or you get all the workers at all the fast food businesses a pay bump.

          If you think this isn't corporate capture and corrupt business politics you're nuts. There's a fucking exemption in the law for panera bread.

      • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I don't wanna debate the subject or anything but I did want to point out that there ARE other factors that keep employees around besides wage especially at lower skill jobs where there is wide range of ages that could work there. If you're a good boss to work for in a small business, less money could be worth better work environment.

        A lot of people are scared of change. And im sure there are plenty of people don't really try to achieve more on life than being content.

        and also McDonald's has had competitive pay above minimum wage for a while now. Idk I just don't think this stuff will be such a pendulum swing as you anticipate because of these things so I wanted to share.

        • betwixthewires@lemmy.basedcount.com
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          1 year ago

          Well, my thoughts on that are 1) if you wouldn't move for 20 an hour because the environment's good, is $20 really a living wage? If you can stand $15 then that's gotta he enough to live, right? 2) if people won't achieve more than the minimum they need to get by, maybe that's something we should just let happen, and 3) if companies are raising pay to stay competitive without government action, doesn't that negate the argument used to institute stuff like this?

          • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            All of your arguments in this thread sound like someone who really has already made up their mind how they feel and you just say whatever feels right. Your last point alone is so silly, as if there hasn't been decades of history proving otherwise. Maybe try focusing on listening for a while instead of trying to be right.

              • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Um… literally all of it? All you have shared are opinions.

                You're not only just stating your opinion but it's also your opinion of what the consequences might be. Shit that hasn't happened yet!! And you haven't even used any source or data or even a reference to a specific time in history where something like this happened that leads you to believe in the consequences you're insisting will happen, which would at least be something I could point to as true or not. So like, yeah man idk but you really do not be so stubborn about what you think might happen in the future.