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The future of working in fast food

A McDonalds' employee holds up a food package at a test location in a restaurant at The GelreDome Arnhem, The Netherlands.
A McDonalds' employee holds up a food package at a test location in a restaurant at The GelreDome Arnhem, The Netherlands.

California’s state senate passed a bill last week that could revolutionize the west coast and U.S. fast-food industry. If signed into law, the bill would create a council that would set wages and working conditions for the industry.

According to a study by UCLA and UC-Berkley, nearly two-thirds of fast-food workers in Los Angeles said they’d experienced wage theft. Nearly half experienced injuries or faced health and safety hazards on the job. 

This legislation would be the first of its kind in the country. If passed, other places in the U.S. and maybe even other nations could follow suit.

We hear from a fast-food worker who’s been speaking out about the poor working conditions at his job and why he hopes this bill could change that. We also talk to one of the co-authors of the study.

Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5

Haili Blassingame