A Sacramento County Superior Court judge has temporarily suspended California’s new law to strengthen protections for fast food workers, which was due to take effect Jan. 1.
the order is filed on thursday This was done by a coalition of major restaurant and business industry groups supporting an effort to overturn a law called Congressional Bill 257 through a referendum in California’s November 2024 ballot. Voters have a say.
A coalition called Save Local Restaurants challenges state labor relations agency efforts to implement AB 257 on Jan. 1, arguing that referendum efforts are on track to make the law unenforceable did. Enforcement of the law could set a damaging precedent that threatens voters’ right to referendum, the coalition said.
Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, said Thursday that the law will come into effect while election officials complete the process of verifying voter signatures required to qualify for the referendum. Stated. But state officials “will of course follow court orders,” she said in an email.
AB 257, also known as the Fast Recovery Act, creates, among other things, workers’ representative bodies with the power to raise wages.
of temporary restraining order Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Chereanne W.L. The lawsuit was filed Thursday and sought an injunction the next day.
The order prevents enforcement of the law until the court has had an opportunity to hear the case and decide whether to grant the preliminary injunction. He is scheduled for January 13th.
The deadline for election officials to complete the random sample verification of signatures is January 25. The California Secretary of State will decide whether to certify the referendum after verification is complete.
Save submitted local restaurants 1 million unverified signatures It’s well above the minimum required this month, and it’s likely that the referendum will be accredited to vote.
AB257, Signed by Newsom On Labor Day, it was the focus of intense lobbying by workers, restaurants, and business groups. He argued that the price would skyrocket.
The landmark law creates a first-of-its-kind council mandate to set standards for hours and other working conditions for franchised restaurant workers. It may also raise the minimum wage for workers to $22 an hour.
The law will require the signatures of 10,000 fast-food restaurant employees to set up a council when the law takes effect.
The International Union of California, which sponsors service worker AB 257 and opposes a move to overturn it, said it submitted nearly double the signatures required by law to form a fast food council. I was.
After AB 257 became law, the labor advocates who sponsored it signed a petition to support the referendum. illegally obtainedSupporters of the referendum called the complaint filed with both California’s Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s Office “frivolous.”
