Global Courant 2023-05-02 12:00:17
When Jose de la Torre started delivering pizzas for Papa Johns in 2019, he was making $15 an hour, sharing a one-bedroom apartment in the Florence-Graham neighborhood with half a dozen other people.
After two years on the job, his hourly rate was the same, but his work schedule had been reduced — down to about 30 hours a week instead of the full 40, he said. Meanwhile, his day-to-day living expenses had risen. He started sleeping in his Nissan Altima and parked it near the Papa Johns in Lynwood where he worked.
“I made the choice,” said De la Torre, 53. “It was either my car and food, or renting.”
De la Torre’s situation is not uncommon among fast food workers, who make up 11% of all homeless workers in California and 9% in Los Angeles County, according to a report released Tuesday by Economic Roundtable. The nonprofit research organization estimated that 10,120 fast food workers in California are homeless.
Of the total homeless population, the group estimated that fast food workers make up 5.9% in California and 5.2% in LA County. It said the median annual earnings of front-line fast food workers — such as cooks, cashiers, food preparers and dishwashers — were $14,949 in 2020.
“The fast food industry is an employer in poverty, with a higher proportion of its workers living in poverty than any other industry,” said the report, which was endorsed by the Service Employees International Union. “Raising the wage floor in this industry is the single most important step in reducing economic homelessness in the state.”
California is now home to over 171,000 homelessaccording to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, an increase of 6.2% since 2020.
The average hourly wage of fast food and counter workers in California was Last year $16.60according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition to low wages, fast-food workers are crippled by part-time hours and unpredictable on-demand scheduling, the Economic Roundtable report said. Combined, that can create and perpetuate poverty and undermine workers’ ability to pay rent. A sudden job change or a major unavoidable expense can quickly leave an employee homeless.
The nonprofit examined industry-wide data from restaurant chains, including McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, Jack in the Box and Yum Brands (the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut).
The fast food industry benefits everyone except the workers, said Economic Roundtable president Daniel Flaming. Customers are getting cheap and efficient meals, while the fast food brands that have thrived during the pandemic are making billions of dollars annually.
“The profits are on the backs of workers who can’t keep their heads above water,” Flaming said. “The whole playing field has to be raised.”
Founded in 1991, Economic Roundtable conducts research on environmental sustainability, affordable housing, employment and social justice. Flaming said the nonprofit received $35,000 from SEIU to conduct the homelessness survey and an additional $15,000 donation from the union.
De la Torre is still homeless, a situation that is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future after losing his job in March when the Papa Johns branch abruptly closed.
On Monday, Papa Johns said the Lynwood location was owned and operated by a franchisee and the Atlanta company “does not control or dictate the employment practices of independent franchisees, including hiring, termination and compensation.”
“As a company, Papa Johns believes that all of its team members should be compensated fairly at market rates and in accordance with the law,” Papa Johns said in a statement. “We continue to expand benefits and our compensation plans.”
De la Torre said he’s considering becoming a delivery driver for Uber Eats, but hasn’t come up with a plan yet. He hopes to find a home soon so that his children know where he is and can visit.
“It really makes me emotional because this is something that has never happened to me before,” he said. “It’s a scary situation.”
