Los Angeles City Council members seek more protection for the city's fast-food workers

Los Angeles City Council members Hugo Soto-Martínez, Curren Price, and Katy Yaroslavsky have introduced a motion to strengthen protections for the city's 50,000 fast-food workers.

The proposal includes mandatory "Know Your Rights" training to help fast-food workers understand when and how to protect themselves. It also aims to extend Los Angeles' Fair Work Week law to include fast-food workers, granting them the right to earn paid time off.

For years, Los Angeles fast-food workers have protested to highlight widespread industry issues such as unsafe working conditions, harassment, retaliation, and discrimination. In many fast-food locations, workers have filed complaints detailing health and safety violations, wage theft, retaliation, and discrimination.

A recent report by the Step Forward Foundation found that 88% of fast-food workers lack comprehensive knowledge of their labor rights, including state policies on paid vacations, paid family leave, and worker compensation. This leaves them vulnerable to violations and abuse.

The report recommended robust training as a safeguard against labor law violations in the fast-food industry. This training would empower workers with knowledge about their rights and provide tools to access important programs and defend themselves against rights violations.

"California has some of the strongest labor protections, but they are only effective if workers are empowered to enforce them," said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez. He explained that the motion aims to provide stability to some of the city's most vulnerable workers and ensure they receive the wages they earn.

"Expanding the Fair Work Week Ordinance is essential, especially for fast-food workers who endure some of the most unpredictable schedules in the service sector," said Councilmember Curren Price. He noted that nearly three-quarters of these workers experience last-minute schedule changes, leading to income instability, increased hunger risks, medical issues, and housing insecurity.

According to La Opinión, California's fast-food industry, with over 557,000 workers in more than 30,000 locations, is one of the state's largest and fastest-growing low-wage sectors. Nearly 80% of California's fast-food workers are people of color, over 60% are Latino, and two-thirds are women. In Los Angeles, 90% of fast-food workers are people of color, and 70% are women.