A virtual cup of coffee with DDIFO Executive Director Ed Shanahan

SBA Restaurant Fund Opens May 3  The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced early this week that the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) would officially open next Monday, May 3 at 12:00 Noon EDT, but restaurant owners and operators will be able to register for the program through the dedicated SBA RRF portal beginning at 9:00 EDT today, Friday, April 30.… Read More » 

Biden Signs Unionize Executive Order  President Biden continued to polish his pro-labor bona fides on Monday of this week, when he issued an Executive Order on Worker Organizing and Empowerment that seeks to increase union organization and strengthen the hand of organized labor. The order establishes a Task Force to be chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris and vice-chaired by Labor… Read More » DOL Plans Worker Rights Initiative  In the same vein, the Department of Labor (DOL) also announced this week that it was launching a new initiative aimed at strengthening the rights of workers. This new effort, entitled “Essential Workers, Essential Protections”, provides workers with information about the wage and hour laws that apply to them, including instructions on how to contact DOL with questions or complaints.… Read More » And, Then There’s the PRO Act  If that weren’t enough union saber-rattling, organized labor has been pulling out all the stops to create additional momentum for the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act). Toward that end, AFL-CIO affiliates along with their allies are planning as many as 200 rallies up and down the East Coast next… Read More »

EEOC Opens Data Collection  We knew it was coming, but on Monday of this week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the opening of the 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collection process. The report is a mandatory annual data collection effort that requires all private sector employers with 100 or more employees, and federal contractors with… Read More » Fair Workweek Survives Appeal  A New York state appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that validated the New York City Fair Workweek Law (FWWL). The law, which was first enacted back in 2017, requires fast food employers to provide workers with 14 days advance notice of their work schedules, mandates “premium pay” for those instances when changes… Read More » Committees OK FAST Recovery Act  California continues to step on small businessmen and women with impunity, but this latest effort may be its most egregious yet! Over the past 2 weeks, two separate legislative committees within the state Assembly have approved AB 257, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Recovery Act). The legislation, sponsored by Chairperson of… Read More »

Still More City Mandates  Major cities across the country continue to pass new legislation on an array of issues with which you should be aware – possibly coming soon to a city near you! Starting out west again, Los Angeles this week passed an ordinance that will make disposable items such as plastic utensils and paper napkins available to… Read More » Starbucks  Starbucks reported positive same store sales of plus 9% in the company’s Q2 earnings report on Tuesday of this week. The favorable result was comprised of positive ticket of 22% along with negative transactions of 10%. Against a backdrop of increased 2021 guidance, the company’s tone was very self-congratulatory notwithstanding that it was still comparing… Read More » Upcoming Events  As we advised you last week, we will be sponsoring a couple of informative DDIFO Wednesday webinars during the month of May, but we’re also hopeful that we’ll be able to begin in-person meetings again perhaps even as soon as June. We are working with some different facilities to ensure their safety and will advise… Read More »

April 30, 2021

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