International
New $20/hr minimum wage for fast food workers in California begins Monday
New $20/hr minimum wage for fast food workers in California begins Monday
Most of California’s fast food workers are set to be paid at least $20 per hour
Most fast food workers in California will be paid at least $20 an hour beginning Monday when a new law is scheduled to kick in giving more financial security to an historically low-paying profession while threatening to raise prices in a state already known for its high cost of living.
Democrats in the state Legislature passed the law last year in part as an acknowledgement that many of the more than 500,000 people who work in fast food restaurants are not teenagers earning some spending money, but adults working to support their families.
That includes immigrants like Ingrid Vilorio, who said she started working at a McDonald’s shortly after arriving in the United States in 2019. Fast food was her full-time job until last year. Now, she works about eight hours per week at a Jack in the Box while working other jobs.
“The $20 raise is great. I wish this would have come sooner,” Vilorio said through a translator. “Because I would not have been looking for so many other jobs in different places.”
The law was supported by the trade association representing fast food franchise owners. But since it passed, many franchise owners have bemoaned the impact the law is having on them, especially during California’s slowing economy.
Alex Johnson owns 10 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Cinnabon restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. He said sales have slowed in 2024, prompting him to lay off his office staff and rely on his parents to help with payroll and human resources.
READ ALSO:
- Iran TV journalist stabbed in ‘murder plot’
- Newcastle beat West Ham in seven-goal thriller
- Borno: Yathabalwe, most wanted Boko Haram commander surrenders
Increasing his employees’ wages will cost Johnson about $470,000 each year. He will have to raise prices anywhere from 5% to 15% at his stores, and is no longer hiring or seeking to open new locations in California, he said.
“I try to do right by my employees. I pay them as much as I can. But this law is really hitting our operations hard,” Johnson said.
“I have to consider selling and even closing my business,” he said. “The profit margin has become too slim when you factor in all the other expenses that are also going up.”
Over the past decade, California has doubled its minimum wage for most workers to $16 per hour. A big concern over that time was whether the increase would cause some workers to lose their jobs as employers’ expenses increased.
Instead, data showed wages went up and employment did not fall, said Michael Reich, a labor economics professor at the University of California-Berkeley.
“I was surprised at how little, or how difficult it was to find disemployment effects. If anything, we find positive employment effects,” Reich said.
Plus, Reich said while the statewide minimum wage is $16 per hour, many of the state’s larger cities have their own minimum wage laws setting the rate higher than that. For many fast food restaurants, this means the jump to $20 per hour will be smaller.
The law reflected a carefully crafted compromise between the fast food industry and labor unions, which had been fighting over wages, benefits and legal liabilities for close to two years. The law originated during private negotiations between unions and the industry, including the unusual step of signing confidentiality agreements.
The law applies to restaurants offering limited or no table service and which are part of a national chain with at least 60 establishments nationwide. Restaurants operating inside a grocery establishment are exempt, as are restaurants producing and selling bread as a stand-alone menu item.
At first, it appeared the bread exemption applied to Panera Bread restaurants. Bloomberg News reported the change would benefit Greg Flynn, a wealthy campaign donor to Newsom. But the Newsom administration said the wage increase law does apply to Panera Bread because the restaurant does not make dough on-site. Also, Flynn has announced he would pay his workers at least $20 per hour.
New $20/hr minimum wage for fast food workers in California begins Monday
International
Trump Tells Supporters to ‘Cheat Like Hell’ Ahead of US Election
Trump Tells Supporters to ‘Cheat Like Hell’ Ahead of US Election
US President Donald Trump has made an unusual appeal to his supporters ahead of the November 3 election, telling them to turn out with their families and friends while declaring that he would “cheat like hell.”
Trump made the comments during a Republican gathering in Dallas, Texas, where he led attendees through a mock pledge intended to encourage them to support him and participate in the election.
After asking the crowd to raise their right hands and repeat after him, Trump urged his supporters to help bring their relatives and friends to the polls.
READ ALSO:
- MURIC fires back at Peter Obi: Forget Sallah ceremony, free Nigerian Muslims
- Fani-Kayode Condemns Fresh Killing of Two Nigerians in South Africa
- FG Targets 2 Million Creative Jobs by 2030
He then made the controversial remark while discussing voter registration, saying he was unconcerned about whether he was registered and accusing his political opponents of being bigger “cheaters.”
Trump went on to encourage supporters to vote either on November 3 or before election day, ending the pledge with an appeal to God.
The president also joked that supporters who failed to vote could face divine punishment, telling the crowd they would “go to hell” if they did not turn out.
The remarks came as Trump sought to energise Republican voters ahead of the election, in which control of Congress is also at stake.
His comments are likely to attract attention because of the language he used during an event aimed at mobilising voters, particularly his reference to cheating and his claims about the conduct of his opponents.
Trump Tells Supporters to ‘Cheat Like Hell’ Ahead of US Election
International
France Train Derailment Injures 44, 18-Year-Old Woman in Critical Condition
France Train Derailment Injures 44, 18-Year-Old Woman in Critical Condition
At least 44 people were injured after a passenger train carrying 186 people derailed in northwestern France on Friday evening, with an 18-year-old woman among those injured and reported to be in critical condition.
The Rouen-Caen regional train derailed at about 7:45 p.m. local time near Cléon, in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy, while travelling between the cities of Rouen and Caen.
The incident triggered a major emergency response, with authorities deploying about 130 firefighters, five medical teams and 80 emergency vehicles to the scene.
A mass-casualty emergency plan was activated to coordinate the rescue operation and treatment of those injured.
According to Rouen prosecutor Sébastien Gallois, 44 passengers were injured in the France train derailment, including the 18-year-old woman who was airlifted to Rouen University Hospital in critical condition.
The other 43 injured passengers were treated for less serious injuries.
The initial estimate of the number of injured passengers was lower, but the figure was revised to 44 after emergency teams completed their assessment of passengers at the scene.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the train was travelling between Rouen and Caen when the accident occurred.
A passenger identified as 24-year-old Louis described the moments before the train accident in France as frightening.
He said the train first experienced several jolts before the movement became increasingly violent.
“Suddenly there were a few jolts, and then after about three seconds it got stronger and stronger,” he told ICI Normandie radio.
READ ALSO:
- Ondo Herbal Drink Tragedy: Survivor Vows Never to Drink Again as Death Toll Tops 30
- Sokoto Cleric Stabbed Twice in Neck After Juma’at Prayer, Attacker Killed
- Woman disguises as Muslim woman in Niqab to steal in Ado-Ekiti market, video sparks outrage
“I couldn’t stay in my seat any more. The windows partially shattered; the stones from the track came into the carriage. It was really shocking. I’m still shaking,” he said.
A police source said the train may have struck an unidentified object shortly before it derailed. However, authorities have not established whether the object was responsible for the accident.
The cause of the Cléon train derailment therefore remains under investigation.
The Rouen prosecutor said drug and alcohol tests conducted on the train driver were negative.
Police and railway investigators have begun examining the train, the railway infrastructure and the circumstances surrounding the derailment to determine what caused the accident.
The railway operator, SNCF Réseau, suspended traffic on the affected line and switched off electricity to the tracks to allow emergency workers to operate safely.
“The priority is to care for the passengers and then to restore safe operating conditions,” SNCF Réseau said.
The disruption affected rail services along the Rouen-Caen route, while other services connecting Caen with Le Havre were also affected.
Rail authorities worked to arrange alternative transport for passengers whose journeys were disrupted while emergency and investigative operations continued at the accident scene.
Passengers who were not seriously injured were moved away from the crash site as emergency teams attended to those requiring medical attention.
The prefecture urged members of the public to stay away from the affected area to allow rescue workers and investigators to carry out their duties.
The accident caused significant disruption to rail services across the region, with authorities prioritising the safety of passengers and the restoration of the affected railway line.
The investigation is expected to establish whether the train’s contact with the unidentified object, a problem with the railway infrastructure or another factor contributed to the derailment.
As of the latest reports, there were no fatalities recorded in the accident, while the 18-year-old woman remained in critical condition and the other injured passengers were receiving medical attention.
Authorities said investigations into the France train accident were continuing.
France Train Derailment Injures 44, 18-Year-Old Woman in Critical Condition
International
Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland
Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland
A holiday trip in Switzerland has ended in tragedy after a coach carrying 45 Dutch adults overturned in the eastern part of the country, killing five people and injuring the remaining passengers.
The crash occurred on Thursday afternoon on the road linking Susch and Zernez in the Graubünden region. Police said the vehicle went off the roadway while passing through an area where construction work was taking place before overturning.
Three of those injured are in serious condition, while another 37 people sustained less severe injuries. The driver, who is also Dutch, survived the crash but was among those taken for medical treatment.
READ ALSO:
- Yari: God Chose Me to Lead Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign
- Iran’s President Seeks End to War as US Tightens Economic Pressure
- Woman disguises as Muslim woman in Niqab to steal in Ado-Ekiti market, video sparks outrage
Authorities have begun investigating the incident and are working to establish what caused the coach to leave the road.
Tour operator Oad said the company was devastated by the deaths and described the incident as a deeply shocking tragedy.
The crash took place close to Zernez, a popular gateway to Switzerland’s National Park, a large Alpine nature reserve in the Engadine valley.
Five Dead After Coach Carrying Dutch Tourists Overturns in Switzerland
-
metro1 day agoWoman disguises as Muslim woman in Niqab to steal in Ado-Ekiti market, video sparks outrage
-
metro3 days agoPolice Arrest Woman Over Fake OPay Shutdown Notice
-
Politics3 days agoAmaechi will be caged politically, Wike shouldn’t bother about Ikwerre votes — Wihioka
-
Politics3 days agoRemi Tinubu Appeals To South-East Voters, Says She Wants To ‘Enjoy Nigeria’ In Old Age
-
metro3 days agoResidents Cry Out Over Poorly Constructed Entrance of Ademola Abiola Street, Demand Urgent Intervention
-
Politics3 days agoBreaking the Cycle of Collective Guilt: When a Ruling Party Voice Backs Peter Obi
-
Business16 hours agoDangote: ₦525 Refinery Shares Could Rise to ₦10,000
-
News1 day agoAI on the Roads: LASTMA Turns to China to Fix Lagos Traffic