Burger King workers in Sacramento strike over broken AC, extreme temps making them sick
Just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, workers at a Burger King in Arden Arcade went on strike, demanding managers at the location fix an air conditioner they claim has been broken for over a year.
As summer temperatures outside soar, striking workers at the 1915 Arden Way location said that the heat behind the counter sometimes tops 100 degrees, leaving staffers dizzy and nauseated. The lunch-hour walkout was organized in part by the Service Employees International Union and its Fight for $15 and a Union campaign.
Moriah Foster has been working at the location for about five months, bagging meals by the fryer and sweating next to the food warmers. During hot spring days this year, she said she gets migraines because of the heat.
“We’re constantly taking breaks to go into the backroom freezer,” Foster said. “It just goes to show how little managers care.”
More than half a million Californians work in the fast-food industry. With climate change creating more frequent and intense heatwaves, workers behind counters and in kitchens may find themselves more frequently facing extreme temperatures, risking heat stroke or exhaustion.
While state laws offer some protections to workers laboring outside, such as mandated access to shade and water, similar regulations don’t exist for those working indoors.
Foster is one of five workers who sent a complaint Wednesday to CalOSHA, demanding immediate action to address the “imminent hazard.” Burger King did not respond to a request for comment.
In an emailed statement, Burger King stated that it has been in contact with the franchisee of this location. The company rejected the claims of workers, stating that the franchisee told the company that “the dining room AC has been down for less than a week and is in the process of being repaired,” and that the AC unit in the kitchen “is operating normally.”
“We will continue to stay in contact with the franchisee to ensure the high standards we collectively share are maintained for both Team Members and valued Guests,” the company’s press team said in an unattributed statement.
City records indicate the location is operated by the company Quikserve Enterprises, Inc, which runs several Burger King franchises in Sacramento. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The strike Wednesday is similar to one at a Jack in the Box in North Highlands last summer, when workers walked off to protest the lack of a functioning air conditioner. The strike in June led to the store ultimately getting a new manager and a fixed air conditioner, a worker later told The Bee.
Walk-offs may become more frequent this summer as workers advocate for the passage of Assembly Bill 257, which would set statewide standards for wages and workplace conditions for fast-food employees. The bill, which passed the California Assembly in January, is awaiting a vote in the state Senate.
Fast-food industry groups such as the International Franchise Association, however, have opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly targets chain restaurants and would lead to higher consumer prices.
“The reason we’re on strike is we’re hoping we’ll be heard and acknowledged,” Foster said. “Hundreds of thousands of us are being forced to work under similar conditions.”
This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 1:36 PM.