California Gov. Gavin Newsom faces backlash after a restaurant he partially owns posted a $16-an-hour job posting as a new state law requires fast-food restaurants to pay workers $20 an hour. facing.
Olympic Valley’s PlumpJack Cafe, part of a group of eateries that started as a wine shop founded by the Democratic governor in 1992, employs part-time bussers. He is “aspects of the dining experience whose purpose is to assist in the serving of the meal and to ensure that the guest is satisfied during all… aspects of the dining experience.” According to a post on ZipRecruiter.
The job posting states that the bus driver’s salary is $16 an hour, plus tips.
But thanks to a new $20 fast-food minimum wage that went into effect Monday, food service workers can earn more working at McDonald’s than at upscale restaurants and bars.
Newsom placed PlumpJack Group in a blind trust after he was elected governor in 2018 and has not participated in the day-to-day operations of the business since then, his team noted.
A spokesperson for the governor told the Post: “He is not involved in any holdings that may be held in blind trusts.”
The new law applies to restaurants that are part of a chain with 60 or more locations nationwide that offer limited table service or no table service. This would raise the minimum wage by $4 an hour from the previous $16 an hour.
PlumpJack Group operates four restaurants and bars and four wineries, according to its website, making it far below the $20 minimum wage.
Still, some say it’s hypocritical that workers at restaurants that sell $37 pasta or $67 steaks are paid less than fast-food restaurants that serve cheap hamburgers. It also went up.
Republican Congressman Joe Patterson blasted PlumpJack Cafe’s job posting posted 26 days ago with an X.
“Why [Gov. Newsom’s] Don’t restaurants pay $20 an hour? Live jobs in Olympic Valley starting at $16 an hour. It’s very, very expensive to live there…but he doesn’t do what others say and he doesn’t pay a living wage,” Patterson tweeted.
Since Monday, fast food restaurants around the Golden State have increased menu prices to accommodate paying employees higher wages.
Burger King in Los Angeles raised the price of its Texas Double Whopper by $1.80 (about 12%) from $15.09 on March 29, but the price rose to $16.89 on April 1, the Post reported.
In addition to the burden on consumers, California Republicans are concerned that the new $20 minimum will cost jobs.
It also risks losing low-wage cafeteria workers to cash-strapped public schools, which will have to compete for staff with fast-food restaurants.
