U.S. Rep. Khanna hosts roundtable with fast food workers in support of state legislation

(BCN) — U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, hosted a roundtable with quickly-meals personnel and the Service Employees Global Union Neighborhood 521 in San Jose on Friday afternoon to focus on the battle to pass Assembly Bill 257 in California. The legislation, which passed by means of the state Assembly and is awaiting a vote in the condition Senate, would deliver together a council of quick-meals employees and restaurant franchisees to examine and deal with concerns dealing with personnel this kind of as health and fitness and protection specifications, wage theft and other workers’ legal rights.

Khanna, who represents the 17th congressional district covering pieces of Alameda and Santa Clara counties, attended the roundtable at the SEIU Regional 521 office, where fast-foodstuff staff from throughout California spoke out about their knowledge in the market. AB 257, also termed the Quickly Foods Accountability and Requirements (Fast) Recovery Act, is also remaining supported by Combat for 15, an organization started just about a ten years ago that championed the improve to a $15 minimum wage in California 6 years in the past.

Khanna hopes that the Speedy Restoration Act could even more press for professional-employee laws, like a $15 minimum wage federally.

“We confirmed it was attainable in California,” Khanna explained. “What you do in California, the full region is likely to do.”

Crystal Orozco, a worker at McDonald’s in Sacramento, mentioned that she grew up heading to union activities with her mother and observed how a great deal of a change the union designed in strengthening her family’s existence.

“I want these similar rights that my mom bought,” Orozco explained.

The corporation exertion amid quick-food personnel in California, who are 80 % folks of colour, 60 % Latino or Latina and above 66 p.c gals, is significantly anxious with halting wage theft. A report from Struggle for 15 reported that the wide bulk of California’s 557,000 rapid-foods staff have claimed experiencing wage theft.

“Over 425,000 personnel are not finding what they are worthy of,” Khanna mentioned.

The bulk of the industry’s employees are also immigrants, a position which the congressman mentioned organizations have exploited due to the fact they can. Maria Bernal, who has worked at a Sacramento Jack in the Box for a 10 years, explained that she professional frequent wage theft, like not acquiring additional time spend. The loss of income forced her into homelessness, dwelling with her young children in her vehicle and feeling unsafe.

When she was capable to help you save up enough to lease a space, Bernal faced filthy conditions.

“My little ones even now have scars from the mattress bugs,” Bernal claimed.

Bernal claimed she labored really hard and sacrificed but could not offer thoroughly clean housing to her family members on her money. Khanna, who hugged Bernal next her tale, claimed that no a single ought to have to go via what she went as a result of.

“It’s shameful,” Khanna mentioned. “And Maria, I assume absolutely everyone wants to believe of your tale.”

Maria Yolanda Torres, a worker at a Subway in San Jose, confronted wage theft for her unwell time and was not authorized to go on breaks that are lawfully expected when the retail outlet acquired occupied. Torres also noted that guidelines had been remaining taken out of her check out.

“It’s occurring every single single day, and no a person is stopping them,” Torres explained.

Khanna said that the only way to tackle the difficulties struggling with rapid-food employees was to allow them a seat at the desk to bring their struggles to gentle as a result of AB 257.

“You want a voice, someone who is likely to struggle for justice,” Khanna reported.

Alondra Hernandez, who works at an Oakland Burger King, stated that one particular of the greatest issues rapidly-food stuff personnel working experience are functions of violence. Battle for 15 described that more than 77,000 violent or threatening incidents at rapid-food items places to eat in nine important California cities had been recorded in between 2017 and 2020.

Hernandez has observed quite a few incidents, such as a person in which a shopper threw foodstuff at her co-employee and demanded revenue again. Hernandez said that her supervisor returned the revenue and that her co-worker was hit by a projectile from the consumer, producing her facial area to bleed.

Immediately after the incident, Hernandez and some others have been afraid to return to get the job done and received no coaching for probable potential incidents, she reported.

“I’ve had nightmares observing my co-worker’s face full of blood,” Hernandez explained.

Perla Hernandez, who has worked in the quickly-foods field for 13 years and for the previous two years at a Burger King in Campbell, noted viewing a violent battle with a machete outside her office, but management advised her not to simply call 911 and as an alternative to go on performing as to not gradual the organization down, Hernandez explained.

Seberiana Reymundo documented that management has also disregarded the well being fears quick-food stuff workers facial area. Reymundo confronted ridicule right after staying wounded by a box of potatoes falling on her upper body even though operating at a McDonald’s in Saratoga. When she questioned management to shift her from challenging labor exterior during cold wintertime weather conditions following getting diagnosed with liver cancer, her requests were ignored, and she confronted even more humiliation.

Reymundo explained she was scheduled for much less several hours in the course of worse instances that prevented her from attending most cancers treatments and interfered with her slumber. In the course of her reporting managers for unacceptable behavior, Reymundo stated she continued to be ridiculed and inspired to give up.

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Khanna claimed that the concerns Reymundo confronted ended up about dignity and humanity for all.

“Everyone here is an equal human, regardless of whether you are a member of Congress or whether or not you’re serving at a fast-food items restaurant,” Khanna reported.

Other workforce, like Angelica Hernandez, explained they confronted retaliation following bosses realized about their involvement in union and labor organizing movements.

“We’re all struggling, but they do not want to do anything,” Hernandez mentioned.

Ruth Silver Taube, a attorney and coordinator of the Santa Clara County Wage Theft Coalition, explained that wage theft and other challenges that rapidly-foodstuff workers are very frequent. Taube mentioned that the Speedy Recovery Act could play a part in modifying that by keeping places to eat accountable.

“They’ll have no substitute but to allocate an suitable share of income to managing harmless, lawfully compliant shops,” Taube explained.

Khanna finished the function by contacting on the state Senate to pass AB 257 and on Gov. Gavin Newsom to signal the laws into regulation as before long as doable. The congressman stated that California desires to established an instance in prioritizing workers’ rights and democracy for the total place.

“You simply cannot have democracy and rights in The usa if you do not have office democracy,” Khanna claimed.

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