Minimum wage for fast food workers in California to increase
Thanks to an agreement between unions and the fast-food industry, restaurant workers will see a considerable increase in their minimum wage.
Thanks to an agreement reached on Monday, September 11, between the unions and the fast-food industry, fast food franchise workers in California will see a considerable increase in their paychecks starting next year.
Under the agreement, the minimum wage for workers in the industry will increase to $20 per hour, which represents a pay raise of almost $5 dollars per hour. The rise in the minimum wage will come into force on April 1, 2024 and workers will have annual increases until 2029.
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Mandatory only for big chains
This increase will only be mandatory for fast food establishments that have at least 60 branches nationwide, and it does not apply to bakeries.
“Many of us (in the fast food industry) must work two jobs to pay the bills. This will give us a little margin,” Ingrid Vilorio, an employee at Jack In The Box in San Francisco, told the Los Angeles Times, adding that the increase will provide some peace of mind for her family.
More than 500,000 workers, of which 60% belong to the Latino community, are expected to benefit from the increase.
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End of the confrontation
The agreement ends negotiations of more than a year between the unions and the fast-food franchises, which began when the governor of the Golden State, Gavin Newsom, enacted an initiative to increase the salary of these employees to $22 per hour.
The franchises agreed to raise wages to $20 an hour, while the unions promised to drop accusations that hold the companies responsible for labor violations by franchise operators.
Minimum wage increases throughout California
This agreement comes months after it was announced that the standard minimum wage in California will increase from $15.50 dollars to $16 dollars an hour, being one of the highest minimum wages in the country, behind only the District of Columbia and Washington state. This increase will take effect on January 1, 2024.