California Employment News: Overview of the Fast Food Minimum Wage Increase AB122
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California’s newly established Fast Food Council was inundated at its September 12 meeting by competing testimony – organized labor on one side and restaurant groups on the other – about potential plans to raise the industry...more
Get an overview of AB 1228's intricacies and its impact on fast-food workers, from wage increases to exemptions. Tomiwa Aina and Nikki Mahmoudi continue the discussion on the fast-food minimum wage increase in this...more
On April 1, 2024, the new fast-food minimum wage took effect. At the end of March, California’s Labor Commissioner issued an FAQ regarding the new minimum wage. It includes the following sections: •Overview of the Minimum...more
With California’s new $20-per-hour minimum wage for fast food workers set to take effect on April 1, 2024, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has updated its guidance regarding the new minimum wage law’s...more
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has published a final rule regarding the Standard for Determining Joint-Employer Status under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This significant development clarifies how two...more
Another New Year means another flurry of new laws for California employers. Indeed, Governor Newsom had another busy October, signing over a dozen employee-friendly bills touching everything from cannabis use to workplace...more
California voters will no longer decide the fate of the controversial Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Act), which was expected to significantly affect fast-food restaurants in the state, including...more
Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the FAST Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (AB 257), which sought to increase the California minimum wage to $22 per hour, with annual increases thereafter, and...more
After years of debate, and a looming referendum, a compromise between labor and business representatives has resulted in a final law regulating the fast-food industry. On September 28, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: California has increased the minimum wage of fast food workers to $20, and authorized the creation of the Fast Food Council comprised of representatives from labor and management to set minimum standards...more
Effective January 1, 2024, the general statewide minimum wage will increase by .50 cents, bringing the hourly rate from $15.50 to $16.00. Please also keep in mind that many (around 35-40) cities and counties in...more
On September 28, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) No. 1228 into law, repealing the FAST Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Recovery Act) (AB 257) and replacing it with a...more
Download PDF Last year the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 257, with a declared purpose of improving the terms and conditions of employment of fast food workers who, according to the bill, “are the largest and...more
On September 11, 2023, industry, government, and union representatives announced that they had reached a deal to remove a California referendum on the Fast Food Accountability and Standards (“FAST”) Recovery Act from the 2024...more
A deal between labor and business groups has just been struck that would remove a controversial referendum from the ballot, but will instead enact a $20 minimum wage for the California fast food industry. Employers will...more
For years, California has led the way in the fast food industry, with several prominent brands having their origins in the Golden State. More recently, California has shown innovation in the ways that the employment of fast...more
As part of the state’s 2023-2024 budget deal, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law an increase to New York’s minimum wage. In fact, the minimum wage will increase to $17.00 per hour for most New York State employers by Jan. 1,...more
In the California Legislature’s latest attack on the fast-food industry, Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) introduced the Fast Food Franchisor Responsibility Act (“AB 1228”). AB 1228 was introduced shortly after a...more
On January 24, 2023, the California Secretary of State completed its verification process and qualified a referendum challenging Assembly Bill (AB) 257, also known as the FAST Recovery Act for the November 2024 ballot. In the...more
On January 13, 2023, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang ruled that implementation of the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (“FAST Act”) should remain on hold pending the Secretary of State’s...more
On January 13, 2023, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction to stop the controversial Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act or “FAST Recovery Act” (AB 257) from taking effect,...more
While the Secretary of State continued to count signatures to determine if a potential referendum challenging the FAST Recovery Act (AB 257) will make it on the ballot, the Sacramento Superior Court has issued a preliminary...more
On Labor Day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Recovery Act), which authorized the California Department of Industrial Relations to create a Fast Food Council...more
As we previewed previously, a number of hot-button legislative proposals made it to Governor Newsom’s desk this year – many of which would change the landscape for California employers. For the first time since the COVID-19...more