As restaurants raise wages, workers see moment for industry-wide change
• 8 min read
San Diego restaurant offering bonuses for new hires
ChickenHeadz in Ocean Beach is offering a $200 bonus for new employees if they stay for at least two months. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images, FILE
A handful of major restaurant chains across the nation have recently announced that they are raising wages in a bid to attract workers as they finally begin to reopen at full capacity.
As the coronavirus pandemic eases and patrons -- fueled by pent-up demand and stay-at-home fatigue -- flock to eat out, some workers and advocates see this apparent labor shortage as an opportunity to call for industry-wide wage reform.