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Fast food workers at stores across California plan to quit work on November 9 and demonstrate in front of McDonald’s locations in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento.
The Protest is an effort to expand legal liability beyond individual franchisees to their corporate franchisors . and protest health and safety conditions in the workplace.
California could chart a new course in the franchise business model of fast food, as many individual restaurants evade their legal responsibilities by operating as small businesses.
McDonald’s franchises do not operate together as a global mega-corporation.
This model has been a way for entrepreneurs, many of whom are women, immigrants and minorities, to generate wealth and generate social mobility. But it has also left workers in one of America’s largest industries with few formal resources for low wages or unsafe working conditions.
The protests are intended to pressure state legislators to support Bill AB 257.
The bill would establish a statewide Fast Food Sector Council comprised of workers, corporate representatives, franchisees, and state officials that would meet every three years to negotiate the industry standards on wages, work. hours and other conditions for fast food workers.
The bill would hold fast food corporations accountable for ensuring their franchisees comply with a variety of employment and public health and safety orders, including those related to unfair business practices, employment discrimination.
The bill would make violations of labor laws by franchisees could be equally enforced against the franchisor.
The planned action comes during an outbreak of protests and strikes this fall, dubbed “Striketober” for better working conditions and wages.
Low-wage workers, who have experienced decades of stagnant or declining wages and benefits, are fed up.
Franchises have also long hampered the collective bargaining in the fast food industry.
There are approximately 76, 000 California franchise establishments with a total of 728, 900 jobs, according to a report by the International Franchise Association.
The 33 percent of all franchises in the country are operated by members of minority groups, compared to 18% of companies that are not franchises.