Fast food workers in Westchester took a stand on March 1, 2024, walking off the job to demand better protection from violent and dangerous customers. The employees, representing various fast food chains, gathered in a strip mall and marched into a Subway sandwich shop, where one worker had recently been threatened by a man wielding a machete.
Sabina Guiterrez, a Subway employee, expressed her fear of returning to work after the frightening incident and joined her fellow workers in calling for an end to the violence. “We don’t have protection. We don’t have training,” Guiterrez stated. Jaylene Lubet, who works at a local McDonald’s, shared her own experience of a customer brandishing a knife in the presence of other patrons, highlighting the need for a safer work environment.
The California Fast Food Workers Union has called on L.A. City leaders to implement a protection plan that would require fast food restaurant owners to provide security measures and training on handling dangerous customers. This demand comes in response to a report by the UCLA Labor Center in January 2022, which revealed that Los Angeles County fast food workers faced significantly high rates of workplace violence, harassment, and wage theft.
KTLA reached out to Subway for comment on the workers’ demands but did not receive a response. As the fast food workers continue to push for better protections, their efforts serve as a reminder of the importance of ensuring a safe and secure work environment for all employees.
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