McDonald's employees stage walkout
Cooks and cashiers at an East Los Angeles McDonald's held a lunchtime walkout Tuesday, claiming kitchen temperatures soared to nearly 100 degrees during last week's heat wave.
Wielding picket signs, the nonunion workers marched in front of the restaurant at 3868 E. 3rd St., saying management has failed to train them to recognize or prevent the symptoms of heatrelated illnesses, which can be exacerbated by extreme heat from the restaurant's grill, fryers and ovens.
They are calling upon management to “take responsibility for worker health and safety” and fix the store's air conditioner.
“Last week it was like 98 degrees inside the kitchen,” said Samantha Mendez, a cashier at the restaurant. “We can't concentrate on what we're doing when it's that hot and there are very long lines.”
Mendez said employees have complained about the heat, but nothing has been done to address the problem.
“They don't answer … they don't say anything,” the 30-year-old East L.A. resident said. “We also went on strike a couple months ago. We have a new manager, but nothing has changed.”
Matthew Tulaphorn, owner/operator of the restaurant, responded in a statement issued Tuesday.
“It's important to me that all our employees have a safe and comfortable working environment,” he said. “It's why we regularly conduct HVAC maintenance to ensure our AC is properly operating and encourage employees to take additional breaks during their shifts as needed.”
Tulaphorn said there were no issues with the air conditioning system last week, adding that “it is currently fully functioning at this location.”
The workers held an earlier protest on June 1, claiming management also pressured them to work while sick or recovering from serious injuries.
That rally came just weeks after employee Bertha Montes died.
In a May 31 complaint filed with the California Labor Commissioner and CalOSHA, coworkers said Montes told her manager she was sick on April 13 and needed to go home.
She was forced to work for another three hours, they said, and Montes died about five weeks later. Her sister informed a worker at the restaurant that Montes died as a result of thyroid problems, which affected her blood and lungs.
Employees also raised heat-related concerns at another McDonald's at 2838 Crenshaw Blvd. when they walked off the job in July amid a relentless Southern California heat wave.
“It's unbearable,” Maria Rodriguez, a cook at the restaurant, said at the time. “Management doesn't seem to care. They say the air conditioning is working, but you can feel how hot it is.”
A new report from Worksafe, a California nonprofit focused on ensuring the occupational rights of vulnerable workers, found that 70% of fast-food workers reported having to work through excessive heat.
And 79% of those employees said they have experienced symptoms of heat-related illness.
The study also shows three out of four fast-food workers in California have experienced one or more serious workplace hazards, including excessive heat, toxic exposure or burns.