California’s Fast Food Recovery Act passed by lawmakers Transcript

Chris: (00:00)
California fast food workers are celebrating a big victory tonight. The Fast Food Workers Recovery Act has now passed after failing last year. The bill impacts more than half a million workers across the state.

Lora: (00:12)
It’s being heralded as the most significant piece of pro-worker labor law to pass in generations. ABC10’s Van Teiu is live tonight at the capital with both sides of the debate and where the bill goes from here. Van.

Van Tieu: (00:29)
Well, Chris, Lora, this is a watershed moment for fast food workers in a decade long battle to have rights and power to shape their industry. It’s a workforce that is comprised of 80% people of color, more than 60% Latino and two-thirds women. If and when Governor Gavin Newsom signs the first-of-its-kind bill, experts say it has potential to shape a new era of labor laws across the country.

Group: (00:56)
[Foreign language 00:00:56].

Van Tieu: (00:57)
California fast food workers celebrating a victory ten years in the making.

Speaker 5: (01:02)
We know that it’s going to affect our lives, that the workers that have been in this industry for many years, but also it’s going to affect the new workers that just come to this industry to work.

Van Tieu: (01:11)
Speaking through a translator, Ingrid Valorio says it’s been a long fight to pass the Fast Food Worker Recovery Act, also known as AB257. The bill will establish a fast food council to set state standards around wages, health, safety, and training while giving workers and franchisees a seat at the table with government and industry representatives. The council is empowered to raise an industry minimum wage up to $22 an hour in the first year and annually adjust wages based on the consumer price index.

Van Tieu: (01:46)
The fast food industry vehemently opposed the bill, arguing it could cause taxpayers increased fast food prices for consumers up to 20% and confuse who adopts and enforces state labor laws. The president of the California Restaurant Association said in a statement, “It is astonish watch our state legislators give away their own law-making authority to an unelected group of political appointees in the form of new sector councils.” But fast food workers and advocates disagree.

Speaker 6: (02:19)
Workers and legislators are standing together to check corporate power in a very significant way.

Speaker 7: (02:26)
So with AB257, I’m glad that finally our voices will be listened, because who else can address the problems then the ones who are living them?

Van Tieu: (02:36)
The bill, national policy experts say, is one of the most important pro-worker bills to be passed in decades.

Speaker 8: (02:43)
And it’s so important because it has the potential to transform fast food industry, in the quintessential low-wage industry, into a job with good wages and …

Van Tieu: (03:00)
Now the bill is headed to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. While he has not officially indicated whether he will sign or veto this bill, proponents say they are confident that it will end up with the governor’s signature.

Lora: (03:12)
Yeah, and as we know a lot can happen in the meantime, and we’re going to be tracking it all, Van. Thank you.