Workers protest Stop AB 257 at Chipotle, Del Taco and El Pollo Loco HQs
Workers in Los Angeles and Orange counties rallied Tuesday, Nov. 15 at corporate fast-food headquarters in a statewide protest of a proposed referendum that would nullify a newly-approved measure aimed at boosting wages in the industry.
About 200 people outside Chipotle Mexican Grill’s headquarters in Newport Beach. Other stops on the protest route included the headquarters for Del Taco in Lake Forest and El Pollo Loco in Costa Mesa.
Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, the FAST Recovery Act is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2023, creating a 10-person, state-run council to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for the more than half a million fast-food workers in California.
About 200 fast-food workers and union supporters gather at Chipotle’s headquarters in Newport Beach on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 to rally against restaurant chains blocking AB 257, a new law that will boost wages and give workers a stronger voice on the job. They then caravanned to other fast-food headquarters, including Del Taco and El Pollo Loco and McDonalds. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
About 200 fast-food workers, including union supporter Faviola Felix, center, gather at Chipotle’s headquarters in Newport Beach on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 to rally against restaurant chains blocking AB 257, a new law that will boost wages and give workers a stronger voice on the job. They then caravanned to other fast-food headquarters, including Del Taco and El Pollo Loco and McDonalds. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
About 200 fast-food workers and union supporters gather at Chipotle’s headquarters in Newport Beach on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 to rally against restaurant chains blocking AB 257, a new law that will boost wages. Al Diaz-Larui, a Chipotle employee from New York, spoke at the event offering support to California union workers. No matter how much money corporations spend to fight the law, we’re not giving up our respect and dignity, speaker after speaker, said.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
About 200 fast-food workers and union supporters gathered at Chipotle’s headquarters in Newport Beach on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 to rally against restaurant chains blocking AB 257, a new law that will boost wages and give workers a stronger voice on the job. They then caravanned to other fast-food headquarters, including Del Taco and El Pollo Loco and McDonalds. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A coalition of franchisees and franchisors opposes the measure and are working to get a referendum, dubbed Stop AB 257, on the November 2024 ballot that would repeal the FAST Act. If they gather the 623,000 voter signatures needed by Dec. 4, the law would be put on hold until the 2024 ballot and possibly struck down.
The coalition’s effort is co-chaired jointly by the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the International Franchise Association.
