L.A. fast-food workers could get more predictable schedules, labor rights training
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.
Set us as preferred Retail employees in Los Angeles working irregular schedules, called in for shifts with just a few hours’ notice, got some relief years ago in the form of a city law requiring large retailers to give them notice of their schedules at least two weeks in advance.Now, that 2024 law could be expanded to encompass the city’s fast-food industry, whose precarious workforce — largely women from immigrant communities — has long raised concerns over unstable schedules that they say make it difficult to plan their finances, child care, medical appointments and other obligations.The L.A.City Council’s economic development and jobs committee late last month approved the ordinance, which also would establish a mandatory six-hour paid training to educate workers on minimum wage laws and other labor protections.
It goes to the full council for a vote on Tuesday.The proposal is backed by a statewide union of fast-food workers — established in 2024 — that is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, which for years has helped organize fast-food employee walkouts over wage theft, safety and pay.The California Fast Food Workers Union‘s organizing director, Maria Maldonado, said workers often are unaware of their rights regarding heat exposure and other risky conditions common in kitchens.
The training, she said, would show them they have recourse and city support for reporting employers when conditions are unsafe.“If you know there is support to enforce the law, we are going to see a difference in the industry,” Maldonado said.City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez first introduced the ordinance in 2024.Although worker-friendly proposals usually are ultimately backed by the L.A.
City Council, the process often is lengthy, with business interests lobbying against such measures.The Califor...