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A couple of yr in the past, I signed into regulation an increase in the minimum wage for fast-food employees. The laws created new protections for these hard-working folks and gave them a better voice in establishing office requirements.
That invoice, which took impact on April 1, elevated the minimal wage to $20 per hour for employees at fast-food chains with 60 or extra places and created new well being and security requirements.
Predictably, this modest regulation prompted fainting spells from conservatives and their enablers within the media. Even earlier than I signed the invoice, they rapidly mentioned it could result in devastating job cuts and trigger scores of companies to shut.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets folks, Monday, July 8, 2024, close to the Widespread Man Roadside Market and Deli, in Hooksett, New Hampshire. (AP Picture/Steven Senne)
It was used as a scapegoat for companies declaring chapter, firing employees and extra. As reported by the Los Angeles Instances, the company restaurant trade even pushed out fake numbers to make it look like hundreds had been fired due to the wage enhance.
NEWSOM, CALIFORNIA BUSINESS GROUP SPAR OVER CONTRASTING JOB NUMBERS AFTER MINIMUM WAGE HIKE
Now, the information is in. It reveals that the other is occurring: California now has extra fast-food jobs than ever.
We imagine in equity, fairness and the concept everybody deserves an opportunity to succeed. And these outcomes dispel the cynics who say we should select between defending employees and rising the financial system.
The truth is, fast-food jobs have elevated each month this yr. Because the regulation was enacted, California has added 11,000 new jobs within the trade. As of July, our state boasts a historic 750,500 fast-food jobs.
Clients may be seen strolling exterior one of many nation’s largest fast-food chains, McDonald’s. (Getty Photographs)
However the advantages of a better minimal wage lengthen effectively past these job numbers. 1 / 4 of fast-food employees are the first revenue earners for his or her households, and two-thirds are girls. These employees are extra probably than most to take care of office retaliation, excessive warmth, unsafe working circumstances, wage theft and extra.
Due to California’s compassion for working people, these women and men residing paycheck to paycheck now take pleasure in higher working circumstances, diminished monetary stress and better alternatives for upward mobility. Households are discovering it simpler to make ends meet, lowering their reliance on public help applications and contributing to a more healthy, extra affluent state.
US STATES LOOKING TO BOOST MINIMUM WAGE TO $20 AS INFLATION ISSUE CONTINUES
That is an trade that has seen income soar whereas wages stagnate. Final yr, the highest 10 quick meals chains noticed surging progress, together with McDonald’s, which had a 63% increase in income. Additionally, final yr, the ten greatest fast-food corporations spent $6.1 billion on stock buybacks – largely benefiting Wall Avenue buyers.
Distinction these income with the tales of actual folks working to help themselves and their households.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks to journalists earlier than the controversy between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs)
Julieta Garcia, a Los Angeles Pizza Hut employee, mentioned, “Earlier than the rise I had to decide on between paying lease or payments on time each month.” Dionicia Cerbacio, who works at a McDonald’s in San Jose, mentioned she’s “hoping to avoid wasting up and take my grandkids to Disneyland for the primary time.” Karina Ceballos, who works at a Castro Valley Jack within the Field, noticed $400 further in her test and mentioned, “I’d have the ability to even avoid wasting cash.”
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Our dedication to elevating the minimal wage is a testomony to California’s values. We believe in fairness, equity and the concept everybody deserves an opportunity to succeed. And these outcomes dispel the cynics who say we should select between defending employees and rising the financial system.
The optimistic impacts we’re seeing – job progress, improved working circumstances and enhanced financial stability – show that this coverage isn’t solely economically sound however the fitting factor to do for California households.
