Workers

NPR - California’s fast-food workers will start making a minimum wage of $20 per hour today — a 25% raise from $16 in most cities and counties. Fast food workers are among the lowest-paying workers in the U.S. The workers are often women, immigrants and people of color; many live below the poverty line. California often sets the tone for other states on labor. Restaurant chain owners and franchisees claim that higher wages will force them to raise prices, cut workers' hours and even close shops. However, studies show something different. After Seattle raised wages a decade ago, researchers found that restaurants and workers adapted and didn’t lose jobs.