California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing backlash after a restaurant he partially owns posted a job listing for $16 an hour when a new state law is forcing fast food eateries to pay their employees $20 an hour.
PlumpJack Cafe in Olympic Valley — which is among a group of eateries that began as a wine shop founded by the Democratic governor in 1992 — is hiring a part-time busser who “will aim to assist the food server … to ensure guest satisfaction during all aspects of the dining experience,” according to a ZipRecruiter posting.
The job listing states the salary for the busser is $16 an hour plus tips.
But a food service worker would make more working at a McDonald’s than at the high-end restaurant and bar thanks to the new $20 fast food minimum wage that went into effect Monday.
Newsom no longer participates in the day-to-day operations of his businesses since putting PlumpJack Group into a blind trust after he was elected governor in 2018, his team noted.
“He has no role in any of the holdings that may be held by the blind trust,” a spokesperson for the governor said when contacted by The Post.
The new law applies to restaurants offering limited or no table service that are part of a chain with 60 or more locations nationwide. It raises the minimum by $4 an hour from the previous $16 an hour base pay.
PlumpJack Group operates four restaurants and bars and four wineries, according to its website, and therefore it’s far below the standards to meet the $20-hour wage minimum.
Still, the lower pay for a worker at an eatery that sells $37 pasta and a $67 steak compared to a fast food spot offering cheap burgers was called hypocritical by some.
Republican Assembly Member Joe Patterson bashed the PlumpJack Cafe job listing, which was posted 26 days ago, on X.
“I wonder why [Gov. Newsom’s] food businesses don’t pay $20/hour? Live job posting at $16/hr in Olympic Valley. It’s very, very expensive to live there… but he doesn’t do as he tells others and doesn’t pay a living wage,” Patterson tweeted.
Since Monday, fast food spots around the Golden State have upped their menu prices to accommodate paying their employees the higher wage.
A Burger King in Los Angeles increased its Texas Double Whopper meal by $1.80 (nearly 12%) from $15.09 on March 29 but surged to $16.89 on April 1, The Post found.
Besides the toll on consumers, California Republicans fear that the new $20 minimum will cost jobs.
It also risks losing low-paid cafeteria workers at cash-strapped public schools who will have to compete with fast food employers for staff.
