Endorsement: No on Proposition 32. Minimum wage mandates are the wrong way to make California more affordable.
“There’s no question California is an extremely expensive state. But raising costs to businesses by force is not the way to help people get by. As we have said in the past on this issue and about this very proposal, if the goal is to help low-wage workers get by, the better focus is on reducing the cost of living in the now very-expensive Golden State…”
“Instead, the proposal at hand is a well-intended but fallacious means of achieving what takes a whole lot more than simply mandating higher wages. Vote No on Prop. 32.”
California’s fast food workers got a $20 minimum wage, but is it working? It’s debatable
“Brooke Armour, president of the California Center for Jobs and the Economy, an adjunct of the Business Roundtable, criticized Newsom’s declaration as reflecting just one month of preliminary data and concluding, “Despite what some are saying, the data are clear: newly passed fast food minimum wage laws are leading to job losses in California.”
“Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, also was critical in an analysis of the state’s economic trends. “California’s well-intended push to reduce income inequality via wage floors is beginning to have a significant negative impact on some of our most vulnerable workers — our youth, particularly those from lower income households,” Thornberg wrote.”
More than 75 big-deal L.A. restaurants closed so far this year. So why are chefs still optimistic?
“Since the start of 2024, the losses have continued. Inflation, a sluggish return to office work following COVID and a slower-than-expected recovery from last year’s Hollywood strikes have hurt restaurants. Eater Los Angeles has kept a running tab of 2024’s closures, which with four months left in the year already numbers more than 75.”
“The biggest challenge restaurants are facing is the cost of food, of beverages, the cost of labor,” says chef Mary Sue Milliken… She’s also one of the founders of Regarding Her, a nonprofit that grew out of the pandemic to support women chefs, owners and managers. “It’s just all those things have so exponentially increased in such a short amount of time, and operators are afraid to raise their prices to the appropriate level because diners will have sticker shock and they’ll be freaked out. It’s a conundrum. A lot of people can’t continue to break even or lose money for any real length of time.”
Situated along the bustling State Street, capitalize on the hotel's continual influx of guests seeking authentic local experiences and easy access to the downtown core, Funk Zone, and the renowned Santa Barbara waterfront.
Join us on Wednesday for a conversation you won't want to miss! Bob Spivak sits down with Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of the California Restaurant Foundation, to share stories and lessons from his new book, Saved by a Blonde and a Chicken Pot Pie. Hear about his journey from co-founding The Grill on the Alley to leading Grill Concepts, Inc. with iconic restaurants like Public School and Daily Grill. Stay tuned! 🍽️📚 And check out Bob's Books here.
NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW Legislature adjourns: final results?
Our industry has seen many victories, but we still need to make it over the finish line. Sept. 30 marks the deadline for when the governor signs or vetoes the bills that passed the legislature. Until that deadline, the CRA will stay active on a handful of essential bills. Sabrina updates us on what happened and what's next in this week's News You Need to Know
CRA MEMBER BENEFIT Regional Wage Track reports are hot off the press!
Our latest reports show statewide wage inflation following the implementation of the fast-food minimum wage in April. The median wage advertised in job postings has increased by 5.9% across all industry positions across the state since our April 2024 Wage Track. Download your region-specific reports for a local analysis of wage trends today.
CA law requires that any business with 5 or more employees provide two hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training for all supervisors and one hour of training for nonsupervisory employees.
To celebrate National Food Safety Month, ServSafe offering 20% off select products all month long! Use the code NFSM2024 to save on training and safeguard your operation from foodborne illnesses and outbreaks.
