The long-awaited change that millions of fast food restaurant workers were seeking has been halted after a judge, at the end of the year, temporarily blocked the AB 257 law that was to take effect on January 1.
The temporary halt follows a lawsuit by restaurant industry groups seeking to overturn the law through a referendum on the November 2024 ballot.
The measure, considered historic, would increase wages to $22 an hour for workers at restaurant chains with 100 franchises; In addition, it would grant better working conditions.
Josefina, a worker at a fast food restaurant in the San Fernando Valley, said it has been very difficult for her to meet the expenses at home where seven family members live.
“Initially they told us that we will support the measure [AB 257]but when we found out what had happened, everyone at work was happy, jumping on one foot,” said Josefina, who preferred not to divulge her last name for fear of reprisals.
She has worked in the fast food industry for a long time. In the current restaurant she has worked for five years and despite the fact that her work is arduous and tiring, she would be willing to work full time to be able to cover her expenses.
“Right now the most they give us is six hours a day, three or four hours a day, or about six hours maximum,” said Josefina, 52 years old.
His biweekly check comes to him for approximately $800 or $850, after taxes, depending on the hours worked. He must set aside the $1,200 monthly rent that he must pay and with the rest manage to pay for food, bills, transportation and other expenses.
“I don’t have a car, I take the bus or look for raites Like right now it’s raining,” Josefina said Tuesday.
She is currently paid $15.04 an hour and while the law’s dilemma is resolved, she will only see a 46 cents an hour raise thanks to the state’s minimum $15.50 an hour raise law starting this January 1st.
However, he explained that he does not have a union that represents them, nor does he receive benefits or vacations. They pay for sick days, but they must bring proof proving the veracity of their illness.
Restaurants are earning more
Josefina explained that since the middle of last year to date at the restaurant where she works, food prices have risen twice. They didn’t tell the employees anything, but after hearing the news of the passage of AB 257, the workers automatically assumed that it was due to the increase they were going to receive.
However, now the workers do not count on the increase, but the prices of food in the restaurant did not fall.
A similar situation was experienced by Ingrid Vilorio, who works at a fast food restaurant in San Francisco. She also noted how prices increased twice from August to December 2022.
“Inventory has not gone down, we continue to sell but they don’t even give us a shirt for work. They just tell us to be thankful that we have a job.”
Vilorio, like Josefina, only receives part-time work, usually three days a week for eight hours. She explained that she has a second job to make ends meet.
“The fact that our employer does not want to support us shows that they are trampling on the rights of workers,” said the worker.
In her case, she earns $15 per hour and starting in 2023 they will increase one more dollar per hour, but for her this is not a luxury since she assured that the cost of living in San Francisco is much more expensive than that of Los Angeles.
“This referendum has affected us a lot,” said Vilorio.
She said that until recently they shared the house with another family because they could not afford a single house for her and her family. With effort they managed to move to another place and with hopes of a better salary, but for now everything seems to stay almost the same.
income is vital
Housing affordability, stability, and quality are essential to health and well-being. The most important forces affecting the health of the population are the social and economic environments in which they live, learn, work and play, indicates the report “Social Determinants of Health Housing and Health in Los Angeles County.”
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights codifies housing as a human right. In the absence of quality, safe and affordable housing, social inequities and health disparities are exacerbated.
Experiences of eviction, foreclosure, and living in someone else’s home can have a negative impact on mental health. The lack of a stable place to live increases levels of depression, anxiety and hopelessness; In addition, housing instability is associated with behavioral problems in children, as well as increases in teen pregnancy, drug use, and youth depression.
Until now, it continues to be verified if there are enough signatures to add the referendum proposal to the ballot. If they can be brought together, the law will not take effect until a vote is held in November 2024.