cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12541208
Panera Bread is exempt from following one of California’s newest laws, according to multiple reports. The new law will raise fast-food workers’ minimum wage to $20 per hour and will take effect beginning April 1.
The new law doesn’t recognize places that operate “a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread” as fast food, according to the law’s text.
Why the line was drawn at bread remains unclear.
However, Newsom pushed for the exemption, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. One of the primary beneficiaries of the exemption is Greg Flynn, a billionaire and longtime Newsom donor who has two dozen Panera Bread locations in California.
"Sir, I ran the numbers. We can expand the restaurant to add ovens for the bakery to sell fresh bread. It’ll cost us $2,000,000 for the expansion and we’re projecting to lose half a million a year in operating costs. Or we can just pay our dozen employees an extra $2 an hour, making our employees happier, increasing retention rates, reducing training costs, and all in all just being the right thing to do "
“Good work, Johnson. I want those ovens up and running by Monday.”