Fast-food workers at a Carl’s Jr. restaurant in North Hollywood were expected to strike Tuesday, citing ongoing workplace violence and alleged denial of paid sick leave.
Cooks and cashiers at the restaurant, located at 6601 Lankershim Blvd., plan to walk off the job at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday to protest what they described as unsafe working conditions and a lack of protections from aggressive customers.
Workers said they have faced frequent incidents of harassment, robberies and physical assaults, and alleged that management has failed to provide safety training or allow time off to recover from job-related injuries.
Carl’s Jr. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a complaint filed with Cal/OSHA and the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, workers said they are often required to work while sick or injured.
“Nearly every day we are subjected to aggressive and violent behavior by angry customers who yell at us and throw food at us, and several violent attacks and robberies over the past year have left us injured and in constant fear,” workers wrote in their complaint. “Management has been getting away with forcing us to work when we are sick and injured because we didn’t know our rights.”
Workers cited a July 2025 incident in which an employee was punched in the face by a customer and later returned to work while still injured.
Striking employees also are calling on the Los Angeles City Council to support a proposed Fast Food Fair Work ordinance that would expand labor protections, including paid sick leave, scheduling standards and worker training programs.