"California Fast-Food Fallout: Minimum Wage Mandate Sparks Controversy and Economic Shift"

California's new law mandating a $20 hourly minimum wage at quick-service restaurants has led to higher prices, job cuts, and shuttered businesses, despite warnings from business owners and trade groups. The compromise law eliminated joint employer liability but still poses challenges for small business owners. The Biden Administration's NLRB is pursuing a similar joint employer policy at the national level, and small business owners in California are facing an unfriendly climate, leading to job losses and business relocations. Politicians, influenced by labor unions, are pushing for even higher minimum wages, but voters are starting to push back against these policies.