On January 15, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez introduced the FAST Recovery Act, or AB 257, with support of SEIU California and thousands of fast food workers organizing with the Fight for $15. FAST in the title stands for Fast-food Accountability and STandards—and that is exactly what the bill aims to accomplish.

Fast-food workers are asking you to sign their petition and help them win the rights and protections they need. After you’ve signed, you can also take a moment to record a quick video sharing your support with state legislators.

Take action now and call for the passage of the FAST Recovery Act by adding your name to our petition.

This bill is about two main things:

• Giving workers more power.  Workers need a seat at the table where standards across the fast-food industry are being set. The bill isn’t just about our safety during COVID-19, but having a voice to address issues that so many fast-food workers have faced like wage theft, sexual harassment, discrimination and violence in the workplace. 
• Holding major corporations accountable for working conditions facing workers. We know that in fast-food, the real boss often isn’t the managers in the stores, but the big corporations like McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack-in-the-Box and others that control many aspects of working in the stores.  These corporations will also be held accountable by this bill.

“California has been a leader in workers’ rights, and the FAST Recovery Act ensures that fast-food workers have a seat at the table and a role in improving safety in an industry rife with workplace abuses,” said Joseph Bryant, SEIU California Executive Board member and SEIU 1021 President. “Whether you’re a fast food worker, gig driver, janitor, security officer, a nursing home or dialysis worker—every worker deserves to have a voice on the job. No essential worker should have to risk their lives or their families’ lives to earn a paycheck.”

The introduction of the #FASTRecovery Act came on the same day as an explosive investigative piece from the teams at the Los Angeles Times and the team at Reveal for the Center for Investigative Reporting and nationwide strikes by fast-food workers. It’s a shocking read, filled with stories like Yamile’s:

“Cashier Yamile Osoy, 26, developed such severe COVID-19 symptoms that she told her shift manager that she felt sick and wanted to go home. According to her complaint, he ordered her to lower her mask so she could breathe easier — and finish her shift.”

Check out the clips below to learn more about this fight and stay tuned for ways you can support fast-food workers and help get the FAST Recovery Act passed.

LA Times: Diaper masks, close quarters: Fast-food restaurants have struggled to protect workers from COVID-19

LA TImes: Legislation seeks to upgrade safety standards for fast-food workers amid COVID-19

KQED: ‘Treat Us Right’: Oakland Fast Food Workers Rally for Safer Conditions and a Living Wage

Sacramento Bee: California fast-food workers hold one-day strike over minimum wage, working conditions

SF Gate: Across Nation, In Oakland, Mcdonald’s Workers Demand $15 Per Hour

East County Today: Bill Aims to Empower CA Fast Food Workers’ to Fight for Safe Workplaces