On March 15, 2024, the newly appointed Fast Food Council (the “Council”) held its first public meeting in the State Building in Oakland.

The Council was created as part of Assembly Bill 1228, the FAST Recovery Act. The Council has the power to establish minimum standards for fast food workers, including standards for working hours, working conditions, and health and safety.

The Council is comprised of eleven members, nine voting members and two non-voting members. The members are: Nick Hardeman (Chair), Michaela Mendelsohn, Anneisha Williams, Joe Johal, SG Ellison, Richard Reinis, Angelica Hernandez, Maria Maldonaldo, and Joseph Bryant. There are also representatives from GO-Biz and the Department of Industrial Relations, who are non-voting members.

The meeting lasted approximately three hours, and a public recording is available here. However, the Council did not make any decisions or announce a focus area for enacting regulations during this meeting.

The Council is subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. Dozens of members of the public attended the meeting in person and provided public comment.