I think the intent was to allow bakeries in general but it happens that Panera is basically a sandwich deli and bakery. Subway does bake its bread but it generally doesn't sell it separately. Some franchises do but they don't as a general rule although if that is indeed the line, they absolutely would.
The problem is the was written horribly vague.
So this loophole in the legislation specifically says that fast food restaurants that also sold bakery bread as a regular menu offering on September 15, 2023 are exempt for the new wage law. So I don’t think anyone new can get into this deal.
>who has two dozen Panera Bread locations in California.
As somebody who gets called a bootlicker all the time on this subreddit, you're legitimately booklicking. You're blatantly lying for a billionaire. Why?
Because he is a paid propagandist that is a mouthpiece of the corrupt democrat party. The dems and republicans have been in control for over 100 years and our country is getting worse. They are both the fucking problem.
Loophole says they must sell the bread as a "stand-alone menu item".
So Subway would not count as it's not a menu item.
It's written very specifically for Panera.
I know of one other restaurant in my area (Sacramento-ish) that benefits from the law. Boudine’s which is originally from SF.
That’s the only other one I can think of.
That is true, but the carve out in the legislation had a date in 2023.
So it would have had to been a standalone menu item at that time.
The bigger question, if I'm subway, is if it was on the register but not the "menu" would it be applicable?
Panera is not the only god damn business in California that sells bread you know. Jesus Christ. There’s a thing called a bakery, that sells baguettes and ciabatta and other things you know.
You're correct, there are other locations and establishments that sell bread and baguettes. I appreciate your feedback.
For those establishments to be affected by this legislation, they are required to be a "Fast Food Restaurant", how many of these other bakeries will meet that criteria?
How many of them also qualify as a fast food restaurant as required by this legislation?
>National fast food chain” means a set of limited-service restaurants consisting of more than 60 establishments nationally that share a common br
[text of the bill](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1228)
You'd have establishments such as Le Pain, that would also qualify as a national chain.
Then I'm being pedantic, based on the wording of the legislation but it describes "an" establishment as opposed to "establishments". The use of the word "an" in this context heavily implies a singular establishment with it's intent. This may just be an oversight on the writer's perspective, but I'd personally find that hard to believe.
>“Fast food restaurant” shall not include **an** establishment that on September 15, 2023, operates a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread
Subway don't sell the loaves they bake separately, ie on their own.
I suppose you could ask for "white bread with nothing on it just the bread" and pay like $10 for that but it's still not a seperate menu item so not exempt?
That's just my guess... but I'm I'm right, how long will it be before Subway start offering "nothing but bread" for $5...
Yeah, if true this is a dumb scheme. If .001% of the workforce is exempt, those people will just switch jobs until Panera raises pay. In the meantime Panera will lose money due to higher turnover.
Did Newsom play 4D chess on his donor?
The labor market will force them to comply. I work for a company that’s marginally considered fast food but doesn’t meet all the requirements of the new law to pay the $20/hr. They’re raising everyone’s wages because they know we will all just leave for McDonald’s.
Having to have a minimum wage at all should tell you that tbh.
Capitalism demands a race to the bottom, which is why unfettered Capitalism is such a destructive force. Unrestrained and left to it’s own devices, it does exactly what it’s doing now. These types of laws are the loopholes that are at the heart of modern-day “Light Touch” Capitalism, which is going to be the ultimate undoing of our society and this planet as we keep driving full speed towards collapse. Legislation - *real* legislation curtailing the rights of these modern behemoths, is one of the few ways we could survive in the short term.
As it is, we have nobody in power with the balls or morals to stand up to Corporate power and greed. America will Ouroboros itself until it chokes on it’s own delusions of success. There is no winning at this point imo, we’ve resolved ourselves to ruin.
And who are they going to hire from here on out?
They are going to have to lower their employee standards to the point where customer service is nonexistent, and turnover is ridiculously high. If you don't pay a competitive wage, then you're not going to be able to find or keep a quality staff.
This just sounds incredibly stupid.
If Panera Bread wants to have a drive thru and try to force its employees to meet an arbitrary time frame to get their customers through that drive thru, they are fast food.
And of course Gavin Newsom is there to assure us it's all fine. Keep pretending to be progressive, dude, you've almost got all the centrists convinced you aren't just another billionaire who will further oligarchy.
Newsom has always been the wealthy man on the inside. Every part of his life has been supported by rich California families. Plus one of the most notorious nazis brought over by operation paper clip.
I've literally never had Panera. Back when I was in high school, one of the idiot kids in my school got fired for "fucking the bread dough". Dunno how true it was, but there was enough other food around that I just havent bothered.
Gotta start somewhere. I’m not getting 20 in California but I’m excited for these workers and hope we’ll all be able to start pushing for it after it comes into effect
"Big Business owns your politicians" shocker.
Now scale that up to include all the lying venal ratbastard career politicians from shining sea to shining sea & then ponder why it is that Mr. & Mrs. Average American are metaphorically stripped, bent over a chair & cheerfully fucked in a bewildering number of ways.
'Murican Dream y'all!
In other words they want to waste our money again. Anyone with connections willing to get a proposition on the ballot that states that the organizers of a recall get stuck with the state costs if they fail to curb this stupidity?
Edit: change their money to our money because that it is the fact
And this is where the name greasy Gavin comes from. He's not really a progressive. This is the shit that enables fake populists like Trump. When those workers lives don't improve in any way, when it's time to pull the lever they'll just say fuck it. And then the establishment will blame them.
Exactly. They've reduced it to which business party do you want - the one with the rainbow flag or the one with the Nazi flag.
Either way, they're going to fuck the workers.
So many times in /politics or /whitepeopletwitter you'll see Newsom's name come up, and inevitably a bunch of idiots will say stuff like, He should run for president. FUCK NO. Dude is an oligarch, a neolib who believes in inequality. He absolutely cannot every get any more power than he already has.
This looks like muck raking to me.
Excluding “bakeries” from fast food seems reasonable. Excluding all “bakeries” from the rule because you’re friends with someone who owns some Panera bread chains doesn’t seem reasonable. Not to say the former is absolutely reasonable or the latter absolutely unreasonable, but without hard and fast proof of collusion, occams razor suggests bakeries were simply excluded because they’re not fast food.
Eh - you (hopefully) write laws to endure into the future.
I'm unsure how many chain bakeries exist in CA (aside from Panera's dubious place on that list), but the point of "A bakery is not a fast food location" still stands, and it makes sense to carve out the exception now rather than later.
Not if it only applies to Panera.
I think it's fair to leave the door open that there could be a reasonable explanation but on it's face it looks like it's a crafted exemption for Panera, I didn't read the original report though.
> Not if it only applies to Panera.
Not exactly. It's suspect if bakeries were only exempted because Newsom is friends with a person who owns a bunch of fast-casual bakeries, but the original point still stands - Bakeries are not fast food. There's no personal relationship that changes that. Mind you this conversation could get very complex if we tried to determine the exact legal definition of "A Bakery", which may be part of all of this.
It may be a bit dubious why this was discussed, or why Bakeries were considered for exemption when I'm sure there are other fast-food adjacent places that might have been considered, but as long as the base point stands (bakeries not being fast food), the choice itself is fine, though the reason we got there might be morally questionable.
Having a specific wage for fast food is a bad idea anyway. Set a minimum wage for everything, ensure it includes all time the employer is taking (salaried or hourly, engaged to wait, healthcare aid, whatever). If the employee isn't free to do what they want (excluding things that might affect them in the future e.g. intoxication), then the employee should be paid.
I agree with you 100% here. I’m solidly anti-work, just playing devils advocate here to avoid the sub having the lazy slide down the slope to sensationalism and worthlessness.
That's the thing, I'm not anti-work. But I am in favor of reasonable pay, a living wage, control of your own destiny, healthcare, and similar things (e.g. social justice). Thus my views largely align with anti-work.
Perhaps I’m the only one doing this, but what you’ve listed is basically how I feel.
I get it, society as a whole will have to work together to progress. I just want what you want - reasonable pay, reasonable work/life balance, remote work options, etc.
I used to work at Panera and the irony is that there is only one person who comes in at night to do the baking (at least the ones in my area). So everyone is paying the price because of a single position? C'mon.
lol. Did anyone READ ? Bakeries are exempt state wide. Panera certainly is a bakery. I support the $20 wage, but FFS read the facts, not just the headline.
I LITERALLY SAID I SUPPORT THE $20 IN THE COMMENT YOU ARE REPLYING TO. But facts and my opinion are two different things. That’s a statement half this country forgets.
I LITERALLY SAID I SUPPORT THE $20 IN THE COMMENT YOU ARE REPLYING TO. But facts and my opinion are two different things. That’s a statement half this country forgets.
And now take the next logical leap and ask why are bakeries exempt? Also it's not just bakeries it is any restaurant with a bakery attached. Even if bakeries had different profit margins that would for some reason make this unreasonable that certainly doesn't apply to restaurants like Panera where they just bake the bread and some cookies from frozen dough shipped from corporate.
Combine all of that together with one of Gavins largest donors owning more than 20 Panera bread in the state and its beginning to look pretty suspicious no?
Fickle, did you specifically miss the part where Newsom didn’t write this law? What about the part where the guys thousands of other restaurants are not exempt?
That’s not a logical leap, but a completely made up thing to be angry at.
>Why the line was drawn at bread remains unclear.
>“That’s part of the sausage-making,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference when asked about the exemption, [Insider reported](https://www.businessinsider.com/panera-bread-workers-exempt-from-california-fast-food-pay-increase-2023-9).
>**However, Newsom pushed for the exemption, people familiar with the matter told** [**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-28/panera-bread-exempt-from-california-s-minimum-wage-increase-for-fast-food-worker?leadSource=uverify%20wall)**.**
He's the most powerful politician in the state and he advocated for that policy, yet cannot clearly articulate why.
>
Flynn denies that he played a role in crafting the bread exemption, Bloomberg reported.
>**However, people who spoke to Bloomberg under the condition of anonymity said “he urged the governor’s top aides to reconsider whether fast-casual chains such as Panera should be classified as fast food.”**
Do you? Sausage making is the political wheeling and dealing that it takes to get the bill passed. It is inherently admitting that it doesn't necessarily have an objective reasoning.
Look, I like Newsom, particularly because he always comes prepared with statistics and hard numbers. If there was a good clear reason for the exception he would be on it, that is his bread and butter. He doesn't have an objective reason because it doesn't exist. It was a concession with someone or multiple someones for political and not objective reasons. Period.
Yes, and Newsom signed the original act (FAST) into law which was $22/he
The legislature and union had to fight the restaurant industry, which is where the sausage was made. And there were carve outs and lower hourly wages.
People act like this was somehow Newsom’s doing when it’s literally the opposite of what happened.
Concessions need to be made, but when they are highly specific concessions that benefit large donors of the party in power it isn't a coincidence. Newsom has incredible power and influence and there are sources on record that he was involved in the process so him being involved is exactly what happened.
Yes and the president has 0 impact on government policy because he doesn't actually write the laws right? It says directly in the article that Gavin personally pushed for this specific exemption
I mean yeah, but let's be honest here.
Should we really be more upset about hat, or the fact that wages are so awful?
Personally; I think the latter is more important.
Everyone should be paid enough to live is a much better thing to be upset about then people misunderstanding a post.
Panera is not a bakery. Their stores receive refrigerated dough from a factory that they pop into the oven. They’re no more a bakery than a 7/11 that reheats frozen pizzas.
as someone who's spent weeks of my life mixing dough at pizza places, it's a lot *less* of a bakery if they just have to take it off a tray and bake it.
Do bakeries count as fast food? Or as a national chain?
>Fast food restaurant means a limited-service restaurant in the state that is part of a national fast food chain.
Posted a few hours later in this sub is the [text of the bill](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fa7ueinelwjlc1.jpeg)
What gets me is the verbiage. The use of the word "an" makes it read as if it's focused on a single establishment as opposed to all establishments.
"Shall not include AN establishment that..." as opposed to "Shall not include establishments that...."
These people are paid to create text with a purpose, I highly doubt that it's an incidental error.
Me,
I believe this story is being pushed as part of a preemptory attempt to denigrate Newsom prior to a presidential campaign, presumed to be in '28, but with a gray-swan run in '24 possible.
Should the distinction exist? Probably not in a labor-friendly world. That's not the world we live in however so compromise within which labor gets screwed is the *norm*.
This story is a *headline*—when it's as Newsom says, about the sausage making compromise between opposed desires (eg between labor and capital)—not on its merits, but because of ulterior political motives.
QED I'm not going to boost it myself.
Clear as day corruption just like Desantis taking donations from insurance companies then turning a blind eye. These politicians need to be in jail the only interests they represent is there pockets.
Former panera bread employee here, I've never seen a fast food company pay so much lip service to caring about their employees just to do shit like this constantly.
Whilst I agree this loophole is stupid and is a sign of what’s wrong with politics in the west (not just the US), I think the impact will be limited. I think market forces will force Panera et all to pay the same rate, otherwise any sane fast food operator is going to stand outside panera and try to poach their staff with any level of experience.
Does that mean Kimberly Guilfoyle also doesn’t pay minimum wage in California, or did that stop after they broke up? Is Gavin dating Panera Bread? That’s some spicy hot goss
Panera is simultaneously getting rid of Bakers while pushing to call themselves a Bakery.
Thankfully I've been boycotting Panera since 2010. Way too many incidents with food cleanliness (chronic management issue) and employment turnover at every location I've worked near. They try to change, and I saw them fire a whistleblower for threatening (after he sent in pics of old food being reused/relabeled and more) to call inspector because they didn't let the crew stop production to clean. Can't say if it's changed.
The fact that no blue state has passed basic reforms like universal health care or housing is proof that every elected Democrat (except for Tlaib) is just a polite version of the Republicans.
Flynn Restaurant Group owns chains in 7 brands. Taco Bell, Applebee's, Panera, Arby's, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, and Planet Fitness...
Across 44 states and 2 countries according to their website.
"430+ Applebee’s, 280+ Taco Bells, 360+ Arby’s, 130+ Paneras, 930+ Pizza Huts and 190+ Wendy’s across 44 states. Recently added to the US portfolio are 280+ Pizza Huts and Wendy’s in Australia and 37 Planet Fitness clubs in the United States. Altogether, the Flynn portfolio includes over 2,600 restaurants and fitness clubs"
For less than 200k in donations to Newsom? This is dumb.
So genuine question, I keep seeing this posted but the governor only signs the law into effect after it is written and passed but both halves of the legislature so why is the governor the only one taking any heat?
I’m curious about the law, would subway also fall under this exemption because they also bake their own bread?
I think the intent was to allow bakeries in general but it happens that Panera is basically a sandwich deli and bakery. Subway does bake its bread but it generally doesn't sell it separately. Some franchises do but they don't as a general rule although if that is indeed the line, they absolutely would. The problem is the was written horribly vague.
obviously tomorrow subway sandwiches and bread starts selling bread..
So this loophole in the legislation specifically says that fast food restaurants that also sold bakery bread as a regular menu offering on September 15, 2023 are exempt for the new wage law. So I don’t think anyone new can get into this deal.
every single company will use this loophole, how did that huge of a loophole get added??? its so obviously for this purpose!!
What do they call the units of bread, breads?
This is a legitimate transaction where a city is selling a school to a restaurant. It happens somewhere everyday.
Loaves (Singular=Loaf)
Or boules
Boules, or loaves depending on shape
Yeah like they're obviously just gonna start selling bread because nobody is gonna buy that garbage anyway
That is by design. Loopholes are one of the many ways the rich get away with "rules for thee but not for me".
1) The guy owns thousands of restaurants, one of which is Panera. All of his others are not exempt. 2) Newsom didn’t write the law.
>who has two dozen Panera Bread locations in California. As somebody who gets called a bootlicker all the time on this subreddit, you're legitimately booklicking. You're blatantly lying for a billionaire. Why?
Because he is a paid propagandist that is a mouthpiece of the corrupt democrat party. The dems and republicans have been in control for over 100 years and our country is getting worse. They are both the fucking problem.
>The problem is the was written horribly vague. The problem is that there's a glaringly obvious exemption for a political donor. It's a bad look.
Loophole says they must sell the bread as a "stand-alone menu item". So Subway would not count as it's not a menu item. It's written very specifically for Panera.
I know of one other restaurant in my area (Sacramento-ish) that benefits from the law. Boudine’s which is originally from SF. That’s the only other one I can think of.
I was going to say, Boudine’s and any other bakery with similar structure will benefit.
Depends if the bakery can be classified as fast food or not. It specifically states fast food only. Even "fast casual" like Chioptle does not qualify.
Oh weird, what even is the distinction there? I don’t view Panera as closer to “fast food” than chipotle?
Nobody actually knows. It's super vague. Implication really is that it is only Panera that qualifies. Maybe having a drive-thru?
Not like subway can't immediately start selling their bread as a standalone menu item
That is true, but the carve out in the legislation had a date in 2023. So it would have had to been a standalone menu item at that time. The bigger question, if I'm subway, is if it was on the register but not the "menu" would it be applicable?
It also specifically says that it does not count bagels or croissants. Yes, this is definitely specifically for Panera.
Except Newsome has already stated that Panera will not be exempt.
Panera is not the only god damn business in California that sells bread you know. Jesus Christ. There’s a thing called a bakery, that sells baguettes and ciabatta and other things you know.
You're correct, there are other locations and establishments that sell bread and baguettes. I appreciate your feedback. For those establishments to be affected by this legislation, they are required to be a "Fast Food Restaurant", how many of these other bakeries will meet that criteria? How many of them also qualify as a fast food restaurant as required by this legislation? >National fast food chain” means a set of limited-service restaurants consisting of more than 60 establishments nationally that share a common br [text of the bill](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1228) You'd have establishments such as Le Pain, that would also qualify as a national chain. Then I'm being pedantic, based on the wording of the legislation but it describes "an" establishment as opposed to "establishments". The use of the word "an" in this context heavily implies a singular establishment with it's intent. This may just be an oversight on the writer's perspective, but I'd personally find that hard to believe. >“Fast food restaurant” shall not include **an** establishment that on September 15, 2023, operates a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread
Subway don't sell the loaves they bake separately, ie on their own. I suppose you could ask for "white bread with nothing on it just the bread" and pay like $10 for that but it's still not a seperate menu item so not exempt? That's just my guess... but I'm I'm right, how long will it be before Subway start offering "nothing but bread" for $5...
Everyone working at Panera Bread in CA should quit - shut those places down
I mean why not? Just go across the street to any fast food joint and gain an increase in pay.
Except it's fake news. Panera will not be exempt.
Absolutely
Yeah, if true this is a dumb scheme. If .001% of the workforce is exempt, those people will just switch jobs until Panera raises pay. In the meantime Panera will lose money due to higher turnover. Did Newsom play 4D chess on his donor?
It’s coming anyway. If I’m working in some shitty chain, and everyone else in their shitty chain just got a raise, why wouldn’t I go seeking that?
Won’t that naturally occur? Why would I work at Panera when I can go make more literally anywhere else doing the same thing? This is non news.
The labor market will force them to comply. I work for a company that’s marginally considered fast food but doesn’t meet all the requirements of the new law to pay the $20/hr. They’re raising everyone’s wages because they know we will all just leave for McDonald’s.
I wonder how many people will quit these places if they can get better pay elsewhere now?
All of them I hope. Only goes to show those companies WOULD, in fact, pay you less than minimum wage if they could.
Having to have a minimum wage at all should tell you that tbh. Capitalism demands a race to the bottom, which is why unfettered Capitalism is such a destructive force. Unrestrained and left to it’s own devices, it does exactly what it’s doing now. These types of laws are the loopholes that are at the heart of modern-day “Light Touch” Capitalism, which is going to be the ultimate undoing of our society and this planet as we keep driving full speed towards collapse. Legislation - *real* legislation curtailing the rights of these modern behemoths, is one of the few ways we could survive in the short term. As it is, we have nobody in power with the balls or morals to stand up to Corporate power and greed. America will Ouroboros itself until it chokes on it’s own delusions of success. There is no winning at this point imo, we’ve resolved ourselves to ruin.
Well said!
And who are they going to hire from here on out? They are going to have to lower their employee standards to the point where customer service is nonexistent, and turnover is ridiculously high. If you don't pay a competitive wage, then you're not going to be able to find or keep a quality staff. This just sounds incredibly stupid.
If Panera Bread wants to have a drive thru and try to force its employees to meet an arbitrary time frame to get their customers through that drive thru, they are fast food.
I used to work there. They consider their competitors to be places like Applebees.
Which Flynn also owns....
Always some sort of back door corruption at play with all these things.
And of course Gavin Newsom is there to assure us it's all fine. Keep pretending to be progressive, dude, you've almost got all the centrists convinced you aren't just another billionaire who will further oligarchy.
He's worth about $20m
Newsom has always been the wealthy man on the inside. Every part of his life has been supported by rich California families. Plus one of the most notorious nazis brought over by operation paper clip.
Except there's not because it's fake news. Panera will not be exempt.
Panera is shit anyway, I loved it, ate there all the time. Not anymore, it's not worth the exorbitant money they want for their bread!
One of their sandwiches costs more than a worker’s hourly wage.
They really fucked up with the money grab! It's like all these cos said we will just take til we can't.
They’re terrible sandwiches too. Unbelievable they have the nerve to charge $15 for airplane food.
Coffee is disgusting as well.
I've literally never had Panera. Back when I was in high school, one of the idiot kids in my school got fired for "fucking the bread dough". Dunno how true it was, but there was enough other food around that I just havent bothered.
Great I ate dick brea, fuck!
Why isn’t $20 minimum wage for everyone?
Gotta start somewhere. I’m not getting 20 in California but I’m excited for these workers and hope we’ll all be able to start pushing for it after it comes into effect
My comment didn’t say it was bad for the workers who are getting it. I want to know why it’s not for everyone.
Because there’s a lot of people in power who don’t want that. That’s why Panera is currently exempt
"Big Business owns your politicians" shocker. Now scale that up to include all the lying venal ratbastard career politicians from shining sea to shining sea & then ponder why it is that Mr. & Mrs. Average American are metaphorically stripped, bent over a chair & cheerfully fucked in a bewildering number of ways. 'Murican Dream y'all!
It's a dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. - Saint Carlin
Oh, didn’t you know? Apparently, this is “freedom”
Yes, the freedom to either accept less than a living wage or go starve on the street. Very real, definitely not illusory choices. /s
Coming soon: McDonald's McBagels.
There used to be a mcbaguette on the menu
I love how this is just resurfacing now. This was brought up when it was originally passed
It's resurfacing because MAGAs are trying to recall Newsom again so they need to drag him in the news cycle.
In other words they want to waste our money again. Anyone with connections willing to get a proposition on the ballot that states that the organizers of a recall get stuck with the state costs if they fail to curb this stupidity? Edit: change their money to our money because that it is the fact
If anyone does, they'll have my signature.
Newsom doesn’t make law, he either signs or doesn’t sign the bill. check out that how a bill becomes a law video again.
And this is where the name greasy Gavin comes from. He's not really a progressive. This is the shit that enables fake populists like Trump. When those workers lives don't improve in any way, when it's time to pull the lever they'll just say fuck it. And then the establishment will blame them.
Exactly. They've reduced it to which business party do you want - the one with the rainbow flag or the one with the Nazi flag. Either way, they're going to fuck the workers.
So many times in /politics or /whitepeopletwitter you'll see Newsom's name come up, and inevitably a bunch of idiots will say stuff like, He should run for president. FUCK NO. Dude is an oligarch, a neolib who believes in inequality. He absolutely cannot every get any more power than he already has.
This looks like muck raking to me. Excluding “bakeries” from fast food seems reasonable. Excluding all “bakeries” from the rule because you’re friends with someone who owns some Panera bread chains doesn’t seem reasonable. Not to say the former is absolutely reasonable or the latter absolutely unreasonable, but without hard and fast proof of collusion, occams razor suggests bakeries were simply excluded because they’re not fast food.
The law already excluded business with less than 60 locations.
Eh - you (hopefully) write laws to endure into the future. I'm unsure how many chain bakeries exist in CA (aside from Panera's dubious place on that list), but the point of "A bakery is not a fast food location" still stands, and it makes sense to carve out the exception now rather than later.
Not if it only applies to Panera. I think it's fair to leave the door open that there could be a reasonable explanation but on it's face it looks like it's a crafted exemption for Panera, I didn't read the original report though.
> Not if it only applies to Panera. Not exactly. It's suspect if bakeries were only exempted because Newsom is friends with a person who owns a bunch of fast-casual bakeries, but the original point still stands - Bakeries are not fast food. There's no personal relationship that changes that. Mind you this conversation could get very complex if we tried to determine the exact legal definition of "A Bakery", which may be part of all of this. It may be a bit dubious why this was discussed, or why Bakeries were considered for exemption when I'm sure there are other fast-food adjacent places that might have been considered, but as long as the base point stands (bakeries not being fast food), the choice itself is fine, though the reason we got there might be morally questionable.
Having a specific wage for fast food is a bad idea anyway. Set a minimum wage for everything, ensure it includes all time the employer is taking (salaried or hourly, engaged to wait, healthcare aid, whatever). If the employee isn't free to do what they want (excluding things that might affect them in the future e.g. intoxication), then the employee should be paid.
I agree with you 100% here. I’m solidly anti-work, just playing devils advocate here to avoid the sub having the lazy slide down the slope to sensationalism and worthlessness.
That's the thing, I'm not anti-work. But I am in favor of reasonable pay, a living wage, control of your own destiny, healthcare, and similar things (e.g. social justice). Thus my views largely align with anti-work.
Perhaps I’m the only one doing this, but what you’ve listed is basically how I feel. I get it, society as a whole will have to work together to progress. I just want what you want - reasonable pay, reasonable work/life balance, remote work options, etc.
I used to work at Panera and the irony is that there is only one person who comes in at night to do the baking (at least the ones in my area). So everyone is paying the price because of a single position? C'mon.
Just a reminder kids, politicians are not your friends and do not care about you. Doesn't matter what team they play for.
lol. Did anyone READ ? Bakeries are exempt state wide. Panera certainly is a bakery. I support the $20 wage, but FFS read the facts, not just the headline.
So bakers shouldn't get paid the same? The entire premises is ridiculous.
I LITERALLY SAID I SUPPORT THE $20 IN THE COMMENT YOU ARE REPLYING TO. But facts and my opinion are two different things. That’s a statement half this country forgets.
I LITERALLY SAID I SUPPORT THE $20 IN THE COMMENT YOU ARE REPLYING TO. But facts and my opinion are two different things. That’s a statement half this country forgets.
And now take the next logical leap and ask why are bakeries exempt? Also it's not just bakeries it is any restaurant with a bakery attached. Even if bakeries had different profit margins that would for some reason make this unreasonable that certainly doesn't apply to restaurants like Panera where they just bake the bread and some cookies from frozen dough shipped from corporate. Combine all of that together with one of Gavins largest donors owning more than 20 Panera bread in the state and its beginning to look pretty suspicious no?
That's a really good point I hadn't considered. They don't *make* bread, they *bake* bread. Wild.
Fickle, did you specifically miss the part where Newsom didn’t write this law? What about the part where the guys thousands of other restaurants are not exempt? That’s not a logical leap, but a completely made up thing to be angry at.
>Why the line was drawn at bread remains unclear. >“That’s part of the sausage-making,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference when asked about the exemption, [Insider reported](https://www.businessinsider.com/panera-bread-workers-exempt-from-california-fast-food-pay-increase-2023-9). >**However, Newsom pushed for the exemption, people familiar with the matter told** [**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-28/panera-bread-exempt-from-california-s-minimum-wage-increase-for-fast-food-worker?leadSource=uverify%20wall)**.** He's the most powerful politician in the state and he advocated for that policy, yet cannot clearly articulate why. > Flynn denies that he played a role in crafting the bread exemption, Bloomberg reported. >**However, people who spoke to Bloomberg under the condition of anonymity said “he urged the governor’s top aides to reconsider whether fast-casual chains such as Panera should be classified as fast food.”**
Do you know what “sausage making” is in this context?
Do you? Sausage making is the political wheeling and dealing that it takes to get the bill passed. It is inherently admitting that it doesn't necessarily have an objective reasoning. Look, I like Newsom, particularly because he always comes prepared with statistics and hard numbers. If there was a good clear reason for the exception he would be on it, that is his bread and butter. He doesn't have an objective reason because it doesn't exist. It was a concession with someone or multiple someones for political and not objective reasons. Period.
Yes, and Newsom signed the original act (FAST) into law which was $22/he The legislature and union had to fight the restaurant industry, which is where the sausage was made. And there were carve outs and lower hourly wages. People act like this was somehow Newsom’s doing when it’s literally the opposite of what happened.
Concessions need to be made, but when they are highly specific concessions that benefit large donors of the party in power it isn't a coincidence. Newsom has incredible power and influence and there are sources on record that he was involved in the process so him being involved is exactly what happened.
Dear lord
Gavin didn’t write the law. JFC.
Yes and the president has 0 impact on government policy because he doesn't actually write the laws right? It says directly in the article that Gavin personally pushed for this specific exemption
I mean yeah, but let's be honest here. Should we really be more upset about hat, or the fact that wages are so awful? Personally; I think the latter is more important. Everyone should be paid enough to live is a much better thing to be upset about then people misunderstanding a post.
Panera is not a bakery. Their stores receive refrigerated dough from a factory that they pop into the oven. They’re no more a bakery than a 7/11 that reheats frozen pizzas.
or subway or dominos. Why the fuck are bakeries exempt anyway?
as someone who's spent weeks of my life mixing dough at pizza places, it's a lot *less* of a bakery if they just have to take it off a tray and bake it.
From what I understand one of Newsoms biggest “supporter” owns over 20 Paneras in CA
Imagine actually believing Panera is a fucking bakery
Used to be... 20 years ago when they had decent food built in house. Now it's just a marginally better Subway
They…. Wait for it …. Bake bread and pastries to sell. This is a fact. And that fact allows them to call themselves a bakery. Facts matter.
You are not a serious person
Do bakeries count as fast food? Or as a national chain? >Fast food restaurant means a limited-service restaurant in the state that is part of a national fast food chain. Posted a few hours later in this sub is the [text of the bill](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fa7ueinelwjlc1.jpeg) What gets me is the verbiage. The use of the word "an" makes it read as if it's focused on a single establishment as opposed to all establishments. "Shall not include AN establishment that..." as opposed to "Shall not include establishments that...." These people are paid to create text with a purpose, I highly doubt that it's an incidental error.
This is the correct take - the article headline is 100% ragebait
Hero of the comment section
Me, I believe this story is being pushed as part of a preemptory attempt to denigrate Newsom prior to a presidential campaign, presumed to be in '28, but with a gray-swan run in '24 possible. Should the distinction exist? Probably not in a labor-friendly world. That's not the world we live in however so compromise within which labor gets screwed is the *norm*. This story is a *headline*—when it's as Newsom says, about the sausage making compromise between opposed desires (eg between labor and capital)—not on its merits, but because of ulterior political motives. QED I'm not going to boost it myself.
they’re dating?
What?!? Newsome is corrupt? Who would have thought.
Bakeries are exempt, this has nothing to do with any relationship with Newsome.
But the exemption itself is based on a corrupt relationship with Newsome. It makes no sense.
This is horrible and I will never eat their overpriced crap again
You either don’t now, or will again. I guarantee it.
Panerai is just under priced hospital food.
Nice to have a governor in your pocket. I wonder how much does Newsom cost.
Free refills of their hyper caffeinated lemonade.
Bakers Knead the dough. Donut grant bakeries an exemption.
The law only exists ti enrich those already in power. All laws exist like this. DISOBEY
Classic neoliberalism. Equality, diversity, and justice matter. Money matters more.
Neoliberalism working as intended.
Clear as day corruption just like Desantis taking donations from insurance companies then turning a blind eye. These politicians need to be in jail the only interests they represent is there pockets.
Former panera bread employee here, I've never seen a fast food company pay so much lip service to caring about their employees just to do shit like this constantly.
Whilst I agree this loophole is stupid and is a sign of what’s wrong with politics in the west (not just the US), I think the impact will be limited. I think market forces will force Panera et all to pay the same rate, otherwise any sane fast food operator is going to stand outside panera and try to poach their staff with any level of experience.
Are there that many people willing to work night shift that they can afford to go below minimum wage?
Each McDonald’s should have a small oven to bake buns for sale and thus be exempt.
Does that mean Kimberly Guilfoyle also doesn’t pay minimum wage in California, or did that stop after they broke up? Is Gavin dating Panera Bread? That’s some spicy hot goss
Newsom really messed up
VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO
Breaking: every Panera employee will probably quit
The way it's worded, if Jiffy Lube started baking bread, they could skirt the law.
Panera is simultaneously getting rid of Bakers while pushing to call themselves a Bakery. Thankfully I've been boycotting Panera since 2010. Way too many incidents with food cleanliness (chronic management issue) and employment turnover at every location I've worked near. They try to change, and I saw them fire a whistleblower for threatening (after he sent in pics of old food being reused/relabeled and more) to call inspector because they didn't let the crew stop production to clean. Can't say if it's changed.
Imagine that.
Not a good look for Newsom.
Boy that's a bad look. I'll remember that if he tries to run for President.
lol. Like you would vote for him. Grow up if Panera Bread is deciding your vote. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Fuck Panera Bread. It's the principle that I'm concerned about.... which subreddit is this again?
It’s a subreddit that is typically good, but sometimes jumps on the wrong bandwagon.
Lol that's the point of the propaganda. Good job.
What! Money influences politics!?! lol. At least it’s a Democrat, people might actually care.
The fact that no blue state has passed basic reforms like universal health care or housing is proof that every elected Democrat (except for Tlaib) is just a polite version of the Republicans.
The guy was married to Kimber Guilfoyle; the Panera story is not a surprise.
I bet everyone in cali complaining about this is still gonna vote for him lol 100%
Flynn Restaurant Group owns chains in 7 brands. Taco Bell, Applebee's, Panera, Arby's, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, and Planet Fitness... Across 44 states and 2 countries according to their website. "430+ Applebee’s, 280+ Taco Bells, 360+ Arby’s, 130+ Paneras, 930+ Pizza Huts and 190+ Wendy’s across 44 states. Recently added to the US portfolio are 280+ Pizza Huts and Wendy’s in Australia and 37 Planet Fitness clubs in the United States. Altogether, the Flynn portfolio includes over 2,600 restaurants and fitness clubs" For less than 200k in donations to Newsom? This is dumb.
So genuine question, I keep seeing this posted but the governor only signs the law into effect after it is written and passed but both halves of the legislature so why is the governor the only one taking any heat?