California passes bill to regulate wages for fast food workers

The California Legislature sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a first-in-the-nation bill Monday creating a council to regulate wages and working conditions in fast food restaurants. 

The bill would give labor advocates a long-elusive bargaining foothold in a low-wage industry that employs more than half a million non-unionized workers statewide.

Pushed by the Service Employees International Union and fiercely opposed by business groups, the FAST Recovery Act barely passed the state Senate with the minimum number of votes. The vote was just as narrow in the Assembly hours later. Several Democrats abstained; after it passed six switched their votes to support it.

If Newsom signs AB 257, a council would be able to set standards across the fast foo