El Pollo Loco Employees in South LA Strike
A group of employees at a South Los Angeles El Pollo Loco eatery staged a one-day strike Friday over allegations of retaliation by management and failure to address dangerous working conditions.
The employees represented by the California Fast Food Workers Union said they are suffering from an overwhelming amount of violence from customers, and working in excessive heat with temperatures in the store rising over 90 degrees.
Joining them were members of SEIU Local 721, who together called for Los Angeles to adopt a Fast Food Fair Worker ordinance, which would bolster protections for such employees.
Yessica Maldonado, 19, a former cashier at the El Pollo Loco at 101 E. Manchester Ave., told City News Service she worked at the location for more than a year. She claimed she was wrongfully terminated in August for speaking out about the violence, and deplorable working conditions.
In one of her experiences, an upset drive-thru customer scratched her, entered the store screaming, and threatened to throw her on the grill.
"A lot of (customers) will drive back and try to come over the counter," Maldonado told CNS. "They'll be screaming, shouting and there'll be no security for us. There's no protection."
According to Maldonado, when she asked management to improve safety they retaliated by cutting her hours and eventually firing her.
The company said in a statement to CNS it is committed to providing a safe, respectful work environment for all employees.
"We provide on-site security guards during business hours and interactive 24/7 virtual security monitoring at this location," according to the company. "All El Pollo Loco employees receive sexual harassment and workplace violence prevention training, and we have not received any notifications of any OSHA complaints at this location.
"We have workplace safety measures at all restaurant locations and will continue working closely with our employees and local authorities to ensure workplace safety," the statement continued.
The California Fast Food Workers Union claimed that in the last two years there were 26 9-1-1 calls made for disturbances, vandalism, and an assault with a deadly weapon at the location.
Maldonado told CNS she recently joined the California Fast Food Workers Union, and she's thankful because she learned about workers' rights. She felt empowered to speak up and to take action.
"I hope this encourages more people not to be scared or be scared of their bosses," Maldonado told CNS. "
In July, Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced a motion calling for a Fast Food Fair Work ordinance, which would give such workers more stable scheduling, paid time off, among other things.
If approved, it would also mandate a six-hour paid training to educate workers on their rights.
The city's Fair Work Week ordinance — signed into law in 2022 — requires employers to give retail workers their schedules in advance. It covers some 2,500 large chain fast-food restaurants and about 50,000 workers.
At the time, a coalition of restaurant owners, business groups and quick-service restaurant brands opposed Soto-Martinez's proposal. They argued it would threaten the viability of local restaurants and drive-up food costs for families already struggling.
