After three years in fast food, things were finally looking up for Alejandra Aguilar Perez. She had become a shift leader at a restaurant near USC—where her daughter hoped to go to college—and was getting consistent hours. But everything changed when she stood up for a colleague facing harassment. Soon after, Perez was transferred, demoted, and her hours were drastically cut.
The move turned her life upside down. She says she was placed in a new location where she was only scheduled for eight hours a week. Her daughter now lives an hour away in Norwalk with her grandmother.
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- 1 What the Survey Reveals
- 2 The Fair Work Week Ordinance
- 3 Critics and Concerns
- 4 Why Work Stability Matters
- 5 Housing Struggles
- 6 Minimum Wage Increase and Corporate Pushback
- 7 The Path Ahead
“I ended up losing the place where I was at… because only 8 hours – what is that gonna pay?” Perez said. “We’re getting fewer hours, but the new people are getting 34 to 40 hours per week.”
Perez’s situation is all too common. According to a recent survey by the California Fast Food Workers Union, 86% of fast-food workers worry about making rent next month. But starting July 1, 2025, a new law in unincorporated LA County could bring long-overdue changes.
What the Survey Reveals
The union surveyed about 405 fast-food workers statewide and uncovered widespread issues: wage theft, unsafe conditions, retaliation, and unstable schedules. A staggering 90% said their schedules could change without warning, and 71% noted that new hires were given hours instead of workers with seniority.
Now a union member, Perez uses her experience to advocate for others. “I wasn’t aware of my personal rights until I got into the union,” she said. “We’re all human beings, and we all deserve to be treated equally.”
The Fair Work Week Ordinance
The upcoming Fair Work Week Ordinance will require large retailers and grocery stores (with 300+ employees nationwide) in unincorporated LA County to post work schedules at least 14 days in advance. Any changes must be made in writing. Workers can also request preferred hours and must receive a written response from employers.
The ordinance is expected to impact 4,000 to 6,000 workers across roughly 200 businesses.
“This is a win for retailers committed to a work environment that gives them a competitive edge—and for our retail workers who deserve the dignity of a predictable schedule,” said LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who supported the policy.
The new county ordinance mirrors a 2023 city law that affects about 50,000 workers in Los Angeles. The City Council is now exploring ways to expand it even further.
Critics and Concerns
Not everyone supports the change. Robert Rivinius of The Family Business Association warned that policies like these could push businesses out of California. “The proponents of these difficult and costly proposals never seem to realize that they are hurting those they think they are helping,” he said.
Why Work Stability Matters
Daniel Schneider, a Harvard professor and co-director of the SHIFT Project, believes predictable schedules are essential. His research shows that 25% of fast food workers went hungry at least once in the past month because they couldn’t afford food.
Unstable schedules don’t just hurt the workers, he said—they affect entire families and communities.
Housing Struggles
Affordable housing remains a massive challenge. In eight California coastal counties, families with two minimum-wage incomes and one child spend over half their income on rent. In LA, 3,600 fast food workers are currently homeless, according to the Economic Roundtable. Of those with housing, 43% live in overcrowded conditions, and 25% spend more than half their income on rent.
Minimum Wage Increase and Corporate Pushback
In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1228, raising the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 an hour starting April 2024. The bill also created a Fast Food Council to set worker protections.
Fast food corporations fought hard against the bill, spending around $4 million to oppose it. Some franchises warned that tighter oversight and corporate rules might put them out of business.
Rivinius pointed to job losses as proof that AB 1228 is backfiring, citing 36,565 fast-food jobs lost between September 2023 and April 2025. But the wage hike only began in April 2024—months after that data period began.
The Path Ahead
Despite the law, Schneider says too many employers ignore labor standards. He believes that local ordinances like LA’s Fair Work Week can make a real difference, especially when backed by enforcement.
“Without clear expectations for shifts, workers face huge instability,” he said. “It’s crucial to understand that this isn’t flexibility—it’s uncertainty.”
For Perez and thousands like her, the hope is that these changes bring not just better hours, but a more dignified life.
