Sean Kennedy on California’s Fast Act

How should the restaurant industry prepare for the Fast Act?

This week’s episode of the Working Lunch podcast features Sean Kennedy, EVP of public policy for the National Restaurant Association. He joins podcast hosts Joe Kefauver, managing partner with Align Public Strategies, and Franklin Coley, a partner with the firm, to discuss the industry’s response to the act.

He also discusses how the association is managing other legislative challenges around the country.

The Fast Act will set up a council that will determine regulations, including wages, for the locations of fast-food chains throughout the state. The 10-person council features two seats for union representatives and two from workers, giving them unprecedented say in rules and regulations on a specific industry.

The law was signed by the governor last year and was set to go into effect this year but a coalition of restaurant chains and industry groups compiled enough signatures to put the law before voters in 2024. Those groups are now fighting as the state looks to put the law in place before that election.

Still, many industry groups believe that other cities and states could mimic California’s law.

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