Labor
Restaurant chains slammed over resistance to minimum wage hike for tipped workers
Wisconsin Examiner 4/21
As the nation’s largest trade group for restaurant owners on Tuesday held a virtual version of its annual gathering to lobby Congress, advocates for a $15-per-hour minimum wage took aim at the powerful restaurant chains that they say are blocking legislation on a higher wage for tipped workers.
Governor signs bill for workers displaced by COVID-19 pandemic
Paso Robles Daily News 4/20
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that he has signed legislation to create a statewide policy for the rehiring of workers laid-off by the pandemic, bolstering the state’s efforts to ensure an equitable recovery from the pandemic.
Food Industry Policy
Restaurants, Delivery Apps In An Uneasy Relationship As Customers Continue With Delivery Orders
CapRadio 4/20
Diners got used to delivery during the pandemic, and the habit may stick long after dining rooms reopen. But, according to the Associated Press, restaurants and delivery companies remain uneasy partners, haggling over fees and struggling to make the service mutually profitable. Companies like DoorDash and UberEats may have helped many restaurants stay in business during lockdowns — it also came with a heavy price.
Another Soda Tax Bill Dies. Another Win for Big Soda.
California Healthline 4/20
In the past four years, soft drink companies spent about $5.9 million lobbying California lawmakers and giving to their campaigns or favorite charities. A California Healthline analysis of campaign finance records from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2020, found that the American Beverage Association, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have given to nearly every state officeholder — from Gov. Gavin Newsom to roughly five-sixths of the 120-member legislature.
On the Side
LA Mayor Garcetti Announces Nearly $30 Million Relief Plan for Restaurants, Street Vendors
Eater LA 4/21
If approved, a slew of ordinances, direct payments, and permits could dramatically reshape the city’s dining scene as it begins to move beyond the coronavirus pandemic.
They Hacked McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines—and Started a Cold War
WIRED 4/20
Secret codes. Legal threats. Betrayal. How one couple built a device to fix McDonald’s notoriously broken soft-serve machines—and how the fast-food giant froze them out.
