ROC United

US Department of Labor Lifts Up Women in the Restaurant Industry

2011-11-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

The Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis at an event at the Department of Labor yesterday said that "the gender pay gap for female restaurant workers is 86 cents on the dollar compared to male restaurant workers. And because the majority of restaurant workers are women, the pay gap issue that affects all of us, affects them even more adversely." Read her full statement here.

With women working the majority of tipped jobs a simple and economy-boosting solution is to raise the tipped minimum wage in order to close this historic inequity between men and women. The WAGES Act, introduced by Donna Edwards (D-MD) would do just that, bringing the tipped minimum wage up to 70% of the regular minimum wage. Currently the tipped minimum wage stands frozen at $2.13/hour since 1991. Click here to learn more and to support the WAGES Act.

Occupying Restaurant Workers: Among the Lowest-Paid of the 99%

2011-11-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Juan Carlos Romero is a 20-year-old restaurant worker, ROC-NY member, and the newest staffperson of ROC-United. He’s also become an extremely active in the Occupy Wall Street movement, leading drum circles and helping to organize marches and rallies. “I make $200 a week from my restaurant job – it would never be enough to survive,” he says. “I’m here because I believe in an America that provides opportunities for everyone, not just the rich.”

Juan Carlos is one of 10 million restaurant workers nationwide who struggle under poverty wages and working conditions. With a federal minimum wage for tipped workers of $2.13, the median wage for restaurant workers nationwide is $8.86, just below the federal poverty line for a family of three. That means that the majority of the people who cook, prepare, and serve your food nationwide are poor, and that seven of the ten lowest-paid occupations in America in 2010 were food service jobs.

Representing one of the largest and fastest growing workforces within the 99%, we at ROC stand in complete solidarity with #OccupyWallSt and the growing movement for economic justice not only now, but for as long as it takes to make sure that workers like Juan Carlos can support themselves and their families. As we continue to support the #occupy movement everywhere, join us in also fighting to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers! Click here to let your Congressperson know that $2.13 is not enough for anyone!

Wall St. doesn’t need a raise – main street does!

HERMAN CAIN, THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT

2011-11-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

We’ve heard a lot in the last few days about the allegations of sexual harassment against Herman Cain, current Republic presidential candidate, during his tenure as President of the National Restaurant Association (NRA). A powerful lobbying group in Congress, the NRA is led by the world’s largest multinational restaurant corporations, and has spent millions over the last several years to keep the minimum wage for tipped workers at $2.13 and prevent any efforts to win paid sick days. While Cain was a rising star within the NRA, the lobbying group truck a deal with its friends in Congress to freeze the tipped minimum wage at $2.13 forever. Regardless of whether or not they are true, these allegations against Cain represent the epitome of the culture of the restaurant industry – one in which the overwhelming power of the employer has resulted in severe gender discrimination and sexual harassment for women.

The majority of restaurant workers nationwide are actually women, many of whom deal with constant sexual harassment in the industry. One server told us, “A lot of the owners will fire you if you say anything back to them. Or if you don’t flirt back at their flirting to you. They’ll find an easy way to fire you.”[i] Even though the majority of all restaurant workers earn poverty-level wages, waitresses earn eight cents to every dollar that waiters earn, a difference of almost $70 per week[ii]. Our data shows that wages are even worse for women of color, who earn $4 than everyone else in the industry[iii].

Most importantly, our most recent research reveals that the lower minimum wage for tipped workers, currently $2.13 due to NRA influence in Congress, significantly exacerbates the gender wage equity gap in the restaurant industry. It’s the epitome of the undue influence of discriminatory multinational corporations on Congress! Click here to let your legislator know that $2.13 an hour IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ANYONE!

[i] Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and Southeast Michigan Restaurant Industry Coalition, “Behind the Kitchen Door,” 51.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, “Behind the Kitchen Door: A Multisite Study of the Restaurant Industry.”

Herman Cain, Restaurant Owner, Republican, poverty-wage job creator

2011-09-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Job-creation is not a one size fits all solution to unemployment. Currently the unemployment rate is hovering at 10% (officially) in the U.S. If all of the jobs created in the next few years are minimum wage jobs, like the ones Herman Cain created at Godfather Pizza, we will be spiraled into a deeper recession by stunning consumer buying power. Cain's vision of an America with no regulations and no minimum wage is a recipe for economic disaster and a pathway to poverty for tens of millions of Americans. Read Mike Elk's article about the many wrong-headed and sloppy ideas being proposed by Cain.

Contagion: Not just a movie

2011-09-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Contagion is not just a movie. Watch this video and hear from restaurant workers and others representing the over 44 million Americans forced to work sick because they do not have paid sick days. 90% of restaurant workers do not have paid sick days and about 2/3 report going to work sick. If we don't want a real-life contagion situation, we must pass paid sick days legislation, it is a basic labor standard.

2011-09-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

9/11 is cause for mourning and celebration for ROC

2011-09-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Even though 73 workers from Windows on the World lost their lives on 9/11 their memories inspired a movement. Today over 8,000 workers throughout the United States call themselves members of ROC United. The organization that traces it's roots to the workers at Windows. A series of events commemorating the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 and ROC marked this year's solemn date. Read here what 9/11 means to restaurant workers.

Restaurant Owners Making $ Billions, How About Restaurant Workers?

2011-08-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry posted profits of over $40 billion, just for the month of July. However, restaurant workers make average wages of $15,092 per year. With astronomical profits in the industry, why are restaurant workers not thriving?

If the minimum wage kept up with inflation, it should be over $10 per hour today. Raising the minimum wage will not magically transform workers into millionaire restaurant owners, but it's a step in the right direction to closing the immoral gap that exists today between the super-rich and the rest of the population.

The Dwindling of the Middle Class is Not Inevitable

2011-07-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Why is the Middle Class in the United States of America on the endangered species list?

Many economists argue that the global economy and the flight of the "good jobs" aka manufacturing is to blame. And, according to them, this economic phenomenon is inevitable.

However, manufacturing jobs didn't start off as good jobs. People forget that thousands of people died in early industrial plants, and the survivors, including child-laborers, toiled under unbelievably oppressive conditions at some of the lowest wages imaginable. Then workers organized and that changed the game.

The middle-class in this country is a direct result of an organized and powerful working class that was able to collectively improve working conditions and raise wages. So the relevant question of today is, are the service jobs, particularly the jobs in the restaurant industry, inheritily bad jobs?

Restaurant workers respond to NPR piece of tipping

2011-06-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Caitlin Kenney’s June 22^nd piece on tipping was noteworthy to us, as we are the nation’s only national restaurant workers’ organization and have spent a decade researching the industry and advocating for the rights of low-wage restaurant workers. What Kenney’s piece failed to mention is the fact that the current system places the burden of paying restaurant worker wages on customers rather than requiring employers to pay their employees a decent wage. This system has left most restaurant workers with sub-poverty wages that fluctuate dramatically with the season and the health of the economy. Moreover, it does not even serve the consumer well.

Tipped workers are among the lowest-paid workers in America. The National Restaurant Association, the largest restaurant employers’ lobby, convinced Congress to keep the minimum wage for tipped workers at $2.13 for the last 21 years, while wages for the rest of the workforce rise. 53% of tipped workers are waiters and waitresses, who earn a median wage of $8.80 nationally, including tips. As a result, waiters and waitresses experience three times the poverty rate of the rest of the United States workforce. Most tipped workers in the restaurant industry live entirely on tips as they take home a paycheck of $0 after taxes. The unpredictability of tips leaves most workers’ lives in flux: many of our members have been evicted from their apartments because they were unable to pay rent and several are homeless while working full-time in restaurants. All of our members report that their wages are so low, they go straight to taxes.

This situation is not only untenable for most restaurant workers, it is also unfair to the consumer. Why should consumers have to pay restaurant workers’ wages? Why can’t we require restaurant employers pay workers a real wage –at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 - as is the case in every other industry? Workers’ poverty also impacts consumers’ dining experience and health. Two-thirds of the 5000 workers we have surveyed nationwide report cooking, preparing or serving food while sick because they cannot afford to take a day off from work. This is a public health disaster that affects anyone who eats out.

We are not sure which waiters Ms. Kenney spoke with, but the majority of our membership of 7,500 restaurant workers can speak about the need for a stable income that would allow them to support their families rather than continuing to live off of tips alone. The point that is missing from Ms. Kenney’s piece is that the controversy is not necessarily between working for tips or working for a wage. Our members feel that, in addition to tips, restaurant employers must also be responsible for providing an income that workers can depend on. In fact, it is mandated by law that tipped workers are paid at least the full minimum wage in a handful of states, including California where the restaurant industry continues to thrive. A stable income for tipped workers would make a major contribution to poverty alleviation amongst restaurant workers as well as towards the health of restaurant goers.

Immigration Laws Enforced in Certain Restaurants While Wage and Tip Theft, Discrimination, and Illegal Health and Safety Conditions Allowed to Persis

2011-05-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

A combined taskforce of three federal agencies engaged in a lengthy investigation that culminated in the arrest of three restaurant chain executives Wednesday morning. Mark Evenson, his son, Christopher Evenson, owners of Chuy’s Mesquite Broiler restaurants with outlets in Arizona and California; and an accountant for the chain, Diane Strehlow, were charged with a variety of criminal violations, including the unlawful hiring and harboring of undocumented immigrants, conspiracy to defraud the IRS and tax evasion. If convicted of all the charges, Mark Evenson faces up to 86 years in prison and a $5.33 million fine; Christopher Evenson faces up to 81 years in prison and a $5.08 million fine; and, Strehlow faces a maximum prison term of 40 years and a $2 million fine.

The arrests represent the second high-profile immigration crackdown against a major restaurant company over the last few months, the first being Chipotle Mexican Restaurants. The fact that federal agencies appear to be aggressively targeting the restaurant industry for immigration law enforcement while allowing for well-documented rampant employment law violations in the same industry with little to no prosecution for those crimes raises questions about the administration’s intentions. Based on its almost 5000 surveys of restaurant workers, the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) estimates that the restaurant industry relies heavily on immigrants and that at least one third of the restaurant workforce nationwide is undocumented. ROC’s research indicates that enforcing immigration laws in a select few high-profile cases while simultaneously failing to engage in similar high-profile crackdowns on employment law violations has not and will not stop the industry from hiring immigrant workers nor scare these workers into leaving the country; instead, such selective enforcement creates an industry culture in which immigrant workers continue to work in fear of deportation and do not speak up for their rights, leaving them vulnerable to increased exploitation.

Eight reports on the wages and working conditions of restaurant workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Maine, Miami, Michigan, New Orleans, New York and Washington, DC, plus a National Executive Summary on the restaurant industry, were recently released by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United (http ://www .rocunited .org/).

The reports are based on almost 5000 surveys of restaurant workers and interviews with nearly 240 employers nationwide. The studies demonstrate that workers in one of the nation's largest sectors suffer from pervasive employment law violations. They also overwhelmingly lack paid sick days, fair wages and access to health insurance. Tipped workers have not received a government mandated wage increase since 1991; and worse, 11 percent of food workers in Washington, DC, 4 percent in Los Angeles, and 7 percent in Miami, are illegally not earning the minimum wage, even after including tips in their salary.

“The fact that immigrant restaurant workers have now been separated from their families while the restaurant industry is free to continue to discriminate, steal workers’ wages and cause physical bodily harm to workers is outrageous,” said Saru Jayaraman, Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United.

National Day of Action Gets Major Media Coverage

2011-02-22T10:39:00.000-08:00

The National Day of Action was covered by over a dozen national and local media sources. Below is a listing of the most relevant ones.

Media:

Time - http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/17/remember-to-tip-report-shows-waiters-are-underpaid-overworked-and-unequally-treated/

Labor Notes - http://labornotes.org/2011/02/restaurant-employees-call-higher-wages-tipped-workers

Daily Kos - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/16/945486/-Minority-restaurant-workers-get-the-shaft-

Miami Herald - http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/14/2065332/miami-dade-restaurant-workers.html

WTOP - http://www.wtop.com/category/District-of-Columbia/20110214/Waiters-rally-for-higher-wages-on-restaurants%27-busiest-day/

CareerDiva - http://www.evetahmincioglu.com/web/blog/2011/02/14/valentines-dinner-no-champagne-for-busboy/

LA Times - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/02/new-study-treatment-of-los-angeles-restaurant-workers.html

Washington Post - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/books/lunch-room-chatter-the-47-poun.html

Kansas City Star - http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/9829

LA Times - http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/02/behind_the_kitchen_door_roc-la_report_reveals_restaurant_industry_inequality.php

Florida Trend - http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?aID=54534

Colorlines Magazine - http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/02/dont_just_tip_your_waiter_demand_equity_for_restaurant_workers.html

NBC Washington - http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Local-Leads-21411-116158779.html

FOX DC -- http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dc/dc-restaurant-workers-pick-valentines-day-to-complain-about-low-wages-021411

We Love DC -- http://www.welovedc.com/2011/02/14/study-of-dc-restaurant-workers-shows-widespread-abuse-and-health-risks/

Alternet - http://www.alternet.org/rss/breaking_news/473874/don%27t_just_tip_your_waiter._demand_equity_for_restaurant_workers/

Good - http://www.good.is/post/white-restaurant-workers-make-4-more-per-hour-than-minorities/

Village Voice -- http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2011/02/white_restauran.php

In These Times - http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6967/no_romance_in_valentines_day_for_restaurant_workers/

Science Blogs - http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2011/02/behind_the_kitchen_door_low_wa.php?utm_source=editorspicks

The Glutster Blog -- http://theglutster.com/2011/02/restaurantequality/

Epoch -- http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/restaurant-workers-lobby-for-minimum-wage-increase-51625.html

The Eater -- http://eater.com/archives/2011/02/17/surprise-restaurant-workers-lack-sick-days-and-health-insurance.php

WUSA -- http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=136704&catid=28

On Restaurants’ Busiest Day of the Year,Some Workers Not Earning a Living Wage

2011-02-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

Restaurant Workers in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC Forced to Work While Sick, Undergo Racial Discrimination and

Experience Unsafe Working Conditions, New Reports Say

Three new reports on the wages and working conditions of restaurant workers in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC, plus a National Executive Summary on the restaurant industry, were released today at city-wide summits organized by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United (http ://www .rocunited .org/).

These summits, attended by hundreds of people in the restaurant industry, are part of a national effort to urge Congress to pass the WAGES Act -- H.R. 631 -- recently introduced by Representative Donna Edwards (D-MD), which would raise the minimum wage for tipped workers for the first time in twenty years. Although Valentine’s Day is the highest grossing day of the year for restaurants, many employees only earn a base salary of $2.13 per hour – the current minimum wage for tipped workers. Speakers at the summits included: Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed; Assistant Secretary of Labor Bill Spriggs; and Tom Saenz, General Counsel of the Mexican American Defense & Education League (MALDEF).

In addition to the three summits in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC, restaurant workers lobbied today in favor of the WAGES Act in Chicago (with Congressman Danny Davis and several state legislators), New York (with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke), New Orleans (with Congressman Cedric Richmond); Detroit (with Congressman Hansen Clarke); Atlanta (with Congressman John Lewis); as well as in Florida (with Congressman David Rivera) and Arkansas (with Senator Mark Pryor).

“For too long restaurant employees have suffered injustices, lacking paid sick days and a livable wage,” said ROC United Director Saru Jayaraman. “It is outrageous that the minimum wage for tipped workers has not increased in two decades.”

The three reports released today, entitled “BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR: Inequality & Opportunity in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington DC’s Thriving Restaurant Industries” are based on 1,704 surveys of restaurant workers and interviews with nearly 100 employers. They have been compiled with similar reports by ROC in five other cities into a National Executive Summary based on more than 4,300 surveys and 240 employers nationwide. The studies demonstrate that workers in one of the nation's largest sectors overwhelmingly lack paid sick days, fair wages and access to health insurance. Tipped workers have not received a government mandated wage increase since 1991; and worse, 11 percent of food workers in Washington, DC, 4 percent in Los Angeles, and 7 percent in Miami, are illegally not earning the minimum wage, even after including tips in their salary.

The WAGES Act would raise the minimum wage of tipped employees from the current level of $2.13 per hour to $3.75 per hour three months after enactment. By 2013 the tipped minimum wage would increase to at least $5.50 per hour.

“The Working for Adequate Gains for Employment in Services (WAGES) Act makes significant steps toward restoring fairness to our minimum wages and ensures that tipped workers are compensated for honest work,” said Congresswoman Edwards. “For far too long, American service sector employees, and particularly tipped workers have been left behind. I am proud to have authored this legislation and look forward to continuing this fight in the 112^th Congress. No one should be denied fair wages.”

Other recommendations from “BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR” include:

Providing Paid Sick Days—In Miami, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC (where the local paid sick days law excludes tipped servers and bartenders), nearly 90% of restaurant workers do not receive any paid sick days. Thus, more than half of workers interviewed admitted to working in a restaurant while sick. The lack of paid sick days can result in hidden public health and societal costs to the consumer and taxpayer.

Penalizing Racial Discrimination - In both Washington, DC and Los Angeles, more than one-third of workers reported race-based verbal abuse. In Miami, more than 40 percent reported abuse motivated by race. Workers reportedly receive lower pay, harassment and lack of promotion based on certain demographics. Policymakers must explore initiatives that encourage internal promotion and discourage discrimination on the basis of race, gender and immigration status in the restaurant industry.

Enforcing Health & Safety Laws - Health and safety violations reported by restaurant workers include: fire hazards; missing mats on the floor to prevent slipping; and missing guards on cutting machines. Respectively, 24 percent, 22 percent, and 26 percent of respondents in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Miami have had no instruction or training on workplace safety.

Implementing Model Employer Practices - There is a wide disparity between restaurants that provide “high road” benefits to employees, and those that take the “low road” in terms of workplace treatment. Restaurants like Teaism in Washington, DC promote ethical treatment of employees. In Los Angeles, 18% of workers reported earning a livable wage. In Miami, one anonymous employer at a family style restaurant pays a minimum of $8 per hour for a dishwasher job, much above the minimum wage. This is proof that it can work.

ROC Chicago Working to Increase Minimum Wage in Illinois

2011-02-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

ROC Chicago along with many other members of a state-wide coalition participated in a lively press conference on Thursday, February 11th to call attention to Senate Bill 1565. The bill was introduced by Senator Lightford a long-time champion for working people in Illinois. An increase to the minimum wage is wildly popular, with over 65% of voters in Illinois saying they support an increase to $10/hour. Click here to see media coverage of the action.

Three New Reports on Conditions of Restaurant Workers in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC to Be Released on Valentine’s Day

2011-02-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hundreds to Gather for Industry Summits Around Reports’ Findings:

Low Wages, Few Sick Days and Lack of Health Insurance Among Restaurant Workers

Three new reports on the wages and working conditions of restaurant workers in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC will be released on Monday, February 14 at city-wide summits organized by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United (http://www.rocunited.org/). These reports represent the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on these local restaurant industries, and were carried out with primary research support from university professors in all three cities.

Valentine’s Day is the restaurant industry’s busiest day of the year, but some workers are only making $2.13 per hour – the minimum wage for tipped workers. Speakers at the summits will include: Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed; Assistant Secretary of Labor Bill Spriggs; and Tom Saenz, General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF).

Legislation is expected to be introduced this month by Representative Donna Edwards (D-MD), which would raise the minimum wage for tipped workers for the first time in twenty years from the current level of $2.13 per hour to $3.75 per hour. By 2012 the tipped minimum wage would increase to at least $5.50 per hour, if the bill passes.

In addition to the summits in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC, restaurant workers will be lobbying on Feb. 14 in Chicago (with Congressman Danny Davis and several state legislators), New York (with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke), New Orleans (with Congressman Cedric Richmond); Detroit (with Congressman Hansen Clarke); Atlanta (with Congressman John Lewis); as well as in Florida (with Congressman David Rivera) and Arkansas (with Senator Mark Pryor).

The three reports to be released on Valentine’s Day, entitled “BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR: Inequality & Opportunity in Los Angeles, Miami and Washington DC’s Thriving Restaurant Industries” are based on 1,704 surveys of restaurant workers and interviews with nearly 100 employers. The studies demonstrate that workers in one of the nation's largest sectors largely lack paid sick days, fair wages and access to health insurance.

Newsweek

2010-12-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

ROC United Nominated for MoveOn Giving Campaign

2010-12-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Help ROC United by voting here!

2010-12-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

The New York Times ran an op-ed piece this week by restaurant king-makers Tim and Nina Zagat, about the recent rash lawsuits in the restaurant industry. ROC submitted a rebuttle to the employer-side arguments, however the New York Times did not deem the news fit to print. Below is the full text of the response by ROC United Co-Founder and Co-Director, Saru Jayaraman.

***********************

The Zagats raise concern over the proliferation of workers seeking legal redress against their restaurant employers in New York and nationwide. As the country’s leading restaurant worker organization, we understand the concerns employers might raise about frivolous litigation. However, we disagree about the scope of the employment law violations workers face industry-wide. Our surveys with over 4,300 restaurant workers and one-hour interviews with over 240 employers nationwide indicate that lack of proper payment of overtime and minimum wages, as well as misappropriation of tips, are a pervasive challenge facing hundreds of thousands of restaurant workers nationwide. For example, 60% of workers in New York City and 40% of workers nationwide reported not receiving proper overtime payments. Workers, employers, and government agencies with whom we speak have agreed that, far beyond a few ‘unscrupulous restaurateurs’ who do not pay their employees properly, and also beyond confusing regulations, there is a culture of non-compliance with the law in the industry.

So when the Zagats opine that “it defies common sense to think that so many of the city’s most respected restaurateurs have intentionally cheated their waiters,” we agree that these renowned restaurateurs may not intend to cheat anyone; but intentions aside, when hundreds of thousands of workers annually are not being paid basic minimum wage nad overtime payments -- which are legally entitled to them by law - the problem clearly goes beyond a few ‘bad apples,’ and requires serious intervention to change industry culture.

One reason that many restaurant employers industry-wide do not comply with overtime and minimum wage laws is because many do not feel that they have to. It has not been demonstrated to them that compliance is a requirement, and failure to comply will lead to certain consequences. Lawsuits are not enough of a deterrent; even the Zagats agree that lawsuits are long and complicated, and so employers do not see any immediate impact of lack of compliance. The Wage Theft Protection Act, signed into law on Monday, can serve as a greater deterrent.

We agree that simply suing restaurants will not be enough to improve conditions in the industry for all. For this reason, we are engaged in a variety of activities to support the transformation of the industry for the benefit of all stakeholders, workers and restaurateurs alike. For example, we develop the leadership of workers to understand their rights and make demands for compliance with their rights. In addition, we can often avoid litigation when employers organize responsible employers to promote the ‘high road’ to profitability, work with them to educate employers citywide, reward and promote employers who offer exceptional workplace practices, and more. We encourage the Zagats to consider recognizing in their well-known restaurant guide these responsible restaurateurs for their sustainable business practices – In fact, consumers we have spoken with who wish to support responsible restaurants have, time after time, called for Zagat’s invovlemnet int his way. Through this program, we worked with responsible restaurateurs to develop a Mayor-supported Restaurant Owner Guide, explaining owners’ legal obligations to their workers, and to develop free training to employers on these issues. We and the City have distributed the Guide widely, and offered free support on these issues – and thus cannot agree that ignorance of the law among restaurant employers should be an excuse for non-compliance. We also offer ourselves as a resource to help restaurants comply with the law and become responsible, law-abiding business owners and we are committed to continuing to do so. We clearly agree – and have acted on our belief – that the law should be clear and employers should be educated on it; but beyond education, there must be consequences for fairly to comply.

We agree with the Zagats that there are a substantial number of employers who not only comply with employment laws, but also go above and beyond to provide exceptional workplace practices. These employers understand that providing good wages and working conditions and not misappropriating tips actually improves worker productivity and reduces turnover. The widespread practice of non-compliance with the law – not only by a few ‘unscrupulous’ employers but industry-wide – unfairly undercuts these restaurateurs trying to take the ‘high road’ to profitability. We hope that the Zagats will work with us to promote these employers and responsible business practice, and denounce an industry culture of non-compliance

Excluded Workers Unite Accross Sectors

2010-12-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last week was a busy week for the ROC nation! We held our annual National Organizing Committee retreat and made plans for very exciting things to come in the next year! We also had our national board meeting and an amazing fundraiser at COLORS of NY. See and download photos from the event here.

Then, this past Friday , December 10th, marking International Human Rights Day the Excluded Worker Congress released it's much anticipated report on sectors of our workforce that have been excluded from labor rights. ROC United is a proud member of the growing movement to unite sectors of our workforce to build power for workers in our society. Check out Shailesh's (ROC NY Member) profile here.

Katie Couric Makes Appeal for Paid Sick Days

2010-12-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

Recently Katie Couric mentioned ROC United on CBS News (see below), she spoke about the need to pass the Healthy Families Act, legislation that would provide all workers up to 7 days of paid sick leave to care for themselves or a sick family member. If you haven’t done so already, please consider contacting your members of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the Healthy Families Act.

Food Workers Stand Together Against Wage Theft in New Orleans Restaurants!

2010-10-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 16th the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New Orleans was joined by dozens of grassroots activists from the US Food Sovereignty Alliance (USFSA) in a street protest in front of the well-known Tony Moran’s Restaurant located at 240 Bourbon St. in the French Quarter.

Farmers, fisherfolk, farm workers, urban agriculturalists, restaurant workers, indigenous people, and food justice advocates gathered in New Orleans to launch the US Food Sovereignty Alliance on October 16, World Food Day, in solidarity with restaurant workers at Tony Moran’s. The Alliance seeks to “turn the tables” on the broken food system by restoring power to communities to govern their own food systems, limit and regulate corporate control, and stop damaging US foreign policy that undermines the ability of other countries to provide for themselves.

The restaurant industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of the New Orleans economy, growing even during the current economic crisis. However, the vast majority of workers in this industry suffer sub-poverty wages and poor working conditions. The USFSA-ROC-NOLA action is intended to highlight the current struggle of fifteen former Tony Moran’s and Jean Lafitte’s servers, food runners, bussers and managers who started a workplace justice campaign and filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in 2009, for wage theft, misappropriation of tips, racial discrimination, being forced to work off the clock and many other egregious acts.

The affected group has tried to resolve the matter amicably, but the company has refused to respond to their request. This action is part of a year-long series of weekly actions held by the workers in hopes that the owner would rectify the wrong-doing. The US Food Sovereignty Alliance is committed to supporting food system worker rights and supports ROC-NOLA’s efforts. When the dignity of one food worker is harmed, much less fifteen, we stand in solidarity!

Serving While Sick: Report Reveals Need for Paid Sick Days & Health Insurance in the Restaurant Industry

2010-10-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

On September 30, 2010 Restaurant Opportunities Centers United released "SERVING WHILE SICK," the largest- ever study of the health conditions of restaurant workers based on over 4,300 surveys conducted in cities nationwide, including New York, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Washington D.C. 90% of workers reported that they did not receive paid sick days. 90% of workers reported not having health insurance through their employers. As a result, 63% reported preparing, cooking, and serving food while sick. The report, Serving While Sick: High Risks & Low Benefits for the Nation's Restaurant Workforce, and Their Impact on the Consumer, demonstrates that a large majority of restaurant workers lack paid sick days and employer-sponsored health insurance, and thus two-thirds reported cooking and serving food while sick, with dramatic impacts on the consumer. Click here for the Executive Summary.

Press clippings here: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, MSNBC, Crains Business, Kansas City Star, Restaurant News, Eater.com, Carrer Diva, NY Magazine, NBC Detroit, AFL-CIO Blog, Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Lexinton Herald Leader, and Insurance News.

Congressmember Rosa DeLauro, Saru Jayaraman, ROC-United, Vicki Shabo, Nat'l Partnership for Women & Families, Holly Howard, Egg Restaurant, Gloria Brown-Bristol, Restaurant Worker and member of ROC LA, and Dara Alpert Lieberman, Trust for America's Health, addressed the standing-room-only audience of over 90 people at the report release Congressional Briefing. The report reveals that workers in the restaurant industry, one of the nation's largest employment sectors, largely lack paid sick days and health insurance to cope with high rates of injury and illness, with dire consequences for workers and consumers.

Jobless Recovery or Payless Jobs?

2010-09-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Are we headed toward a jobless recovery? According to a new data brief by our friends at the National Employment Law Project we're not. There will be many new jobs at the end of this recession, already many new jobs are being created, and according to a recent paper by MIT economist Davis Autor most of them will be in the service sector. The question is, will they provide us with living wages and a path to the middle-class or are we destined to continue to create McJobs in our industry that drag everyone else down with us?

Are We Heading Toward a Double-Dip Recession?

2010-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

With markets around the world tumbling and the US Fed downgrading the outlook for the US economy, all the economists are out in force to give us their two cents about why the economy continues to be in shambles and why it's not recovering. However, no one has uttered the phrase, living wages, which is the key to get out of this economic mess. "More money in my pocket means I spend more" said Jazmine Curiel, a member of ROC Chicago. To ROC United the answer is simple: Raise the minimum wage and this country will begin to see economic growth.

Sick of No Sick Days!

2010-07-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

With almost 90% of restaurant workers not receiving paid sick days from their employers and nearly two thirds working while sick, it is no surprise that employees at eating and drinking establishments are leading the way to pass paid sick days legislation in Congress. What is now clear is that there is widespread support from the American public for paid sick days. The Public Welfare Foundation recently conducted a poll that found that 75 percent of respondents favor a law that guarantees paid sick days for all workers, and most support pro-rated paid sick days for part-time workers. See the full resulsts here.

To restaurant workers who are used to going to work sick, like Chi ROC member Felipe, this is great news. "It means we are a majority, it means that Congress can't continue to ignore our plight and do what is right for all of us". See a video of Felipe's story here.

No Happy Anniversary for Minimum Wage Workers This Year

2010-07-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

From Let Justice Roll Coaltion

July 24 is the anniversary of last year’s raise in the federal minimum wage and no new increases are scheduled. The minimum wage is so low today at $7.25 an hour, says the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, that it’s lower than the minimum wage of 1956, which was $8.02 adjusted for inflation. 1956 is 54 years ago.

The minimum wage sets the wage floor, affecting workers up the ladder. Today, four out of six occupations employing the largest number of workers nationwide -- including retail salespersons, cashiers and food preparation and serving workers -- have a median wage that is lower than the minimum wage of 1968, adjusted for inflation (half make less than the median, half make more). It would take $10 to match the buying power of the minimum wage at its peak in 1968.

"The minimum wage was enacted during the Great Depression to put a floor under workers' wages and increase buying power to boost business and economic recovery," said Let Justice Roll Director Holly Sklar, author of Raise the Floor: Wages and Policies That Work for All of Us. “The fall in worker buying power is a big reason we're in the worst economic crisis since the Depression and a big reason we’re having so much trouble getting out of it.”

Sow True Seed is a family-owned company serving home gardeners and market growers, based in Asheville, NC. Sow True Seed President Carol Koury said, "Our company is committed to the expansion of vibrant, local, sustainable economies. It would be hypocrƒ®itical for us to pay less than a living wage to those in our company who make it possible to have a company at all. Sustainability includes the ability of working people to be paid enough to sustain a fair and viable lifestyle. We’re proud to be part of the Just Economics North Carolina employer living wage program. Paying our employees a living wage comes back in myriad ways to nurture the company. Raising the national minimum wage to a living wage would nurture our economy and our country."

"Every day, our food banks and homeless shelters see more people with paychecks too low to cover even basic necessities,” said Rev. Steve Copley, chair of the Let Justice Roll Board. “It’s immoral to pay people poverty wages. It’s also bad economics. Here in Arkansas and around the country, businesses aren’t hiring because they don’t have enough customers and workers aren’t buying because they don’t have the money. Living wages are good ethics and good economics."

"The minimum wage means a lot to me,” said Jeremy Negron, a restaurant worker and father in Miami, Fla. “I depend on it every day, every hour – it all counts. The paycheck comes in and goes out. Every penny goes somewhere. With the minimum wage not going up this year, it means my paycheck buys even less than before. Now I have more tough choices to make that will affect my whole family. Restaurant workers do some of the hardest, most underappreciated jobs in our nation. It's time we were guaranteed fair compensation.”

Negron is a member of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, which currently has chapters in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Michigan, New Orleans, New York and Washington, DC. Jose Oliva, ROC United Policy Director, says “Restaurant servers and other tipped workers face a double challenge. The minimum wage is too low, and the minimum base pay for tipped workers is even lower. It’s been frozen at $2.13 since 1991. We want Congress to pass the Working for Adequate Gains for Employment in Services "WAGES" Act (H.R. 2570). The bill would increase tipped workers' base pay to $3.75 immediately and later index the rate to 70 percent of the federal minimum wage.”

Marilyn Winn of Atlanta, GA, said, “As a minimum wage worker, I can tell you that families suffer when parents earn just $7.25 an hour. With the cost of food, medicine and utilities constantly rising, minimum wage workers keep falling farther behind.” Winn said, “From childhood, all I’ve ever known is the minimum wage. My mother worked two jobs while I was growing up. At 77 years old, she is still working. She has never rested and never earned enough.”

“For the child care worker who watches your toddler and the waitress at your local diner, the minimum wage plays a big role in setting their pay scales,” said Rev. Stephanie Coble Hankins, a faith-based organizer for the Georgia Minimum Wage Coalition, a longtime Let Justice Roll member. “As an ordained Presbyterian minister, I think of few causes that the faith community should be more interested in than ensuring that the working poor in our own neighborhoods earn enough money to support their families.”

Let Justice Roll is calling for minimum wage increases to make up the ground lost in minimum wage buying power since 1968 and bring us closer to the "minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being of workers" promised in the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Income has been redistributed from the bottom and middle to the top,” said Holly Sklar. “The share of national income going to the richest 1 percent has more than doubled since 1968. We can’t build a healthy economy with the greatest income inequality since 1928 and a minimum wage lower in value than 1956. We have to stop rewarding bankers for gambling and return to rewarding workers for rising productivity. A job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it.”

Critics oppose minimum wage increases in good times and bad, claiming they will increase unemployment. Extensive research, summarized in the Let Justice Roll report, “Raising the Minimum Wage in Hard Times,” to be updated July 24 at www.letjusticeroll.org, shows that increasing minimum wage does not increase unemployment. This research includes a new study analyzing minimum wage and teen unemployment published in June by the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at UC Berkeley.

With more than 100 member organizations, the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign is the leading faith, community, labor, business coalition committed to raising the minimum wage to a living wage at the state and federal level.the minimum wage of 1956, which was $8.02 adjusted for inflation. 1956 is 54 years ago.

Restaurant workers hold 6 of 12 lowest-paying jobs in America

2010-07-23T04:18:00.000-07:00

According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and as highlighted by the Huffington Post restaurant workers and other food-service and retail employees hold most of the lowest paying jobs in the United States. With no regulations and workplace laws, like the minimum wage, where would the market forces take workers' wages?

ROC NOLA Member Featured on Democracy Now USSF Edition

2010-06-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Check it out on Minute 31:25

WATCH NOW -- CLICK HERE

Thanks for Making the 2010 National Restaurant Workers Convening a Huge Success

2010-06-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Restaurant workers everywhere, whether you were one of the hundreds that came to the 2010 National Restaurant Workers Convening or couldn't get the days off to attend, we want you to know that our movement is stronger because of your commitment and dedication to justice in our industry.

Our fight to make the restaurant industry free of discrimination, with living wages and dignity for all workers is one step closer because of you!

THANK YOU!

Louisiana Restaurant Association -- Keeping workers down since 1946

2010-06-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

The state restaurant associations fight bitterly to keep workers down and disorganized, although they are very, very well organized. Why is ok for bosses to have organizations but not workers?

National Restaurant Association: Why be Green, when you can be Mean?

2010-06-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

A recent series of investigative reports by the good folks at the Greenwashing Blog has uncovered a potentially massive scam to literally SELL "sustainable food establishment" certifications to any restaurant willing to pay for them. The investigation diggs deep into the full extent of the corruption that can occur when there is no independent monitoring into programs that claim "sustainable" or "green" certification. It also proves the lows the National Restaurant Association is willing to go. In case anyone was wondering what their position is on environmental issues, they oppose any and all "mandates". In other words, the NRA would love nothing more than a restaurant industry free of any laws. No minimum wage, no overtime, no sick days and of course no trans-fat or other health and safety laws for workers of consumers.

Thanks to Greenwashing for exposing the true nature of the NRA!

National Restaurant Association -- Keeping Wages Down for 20 Years

2010-06-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

While painting a distorded picture of ROC and inacurately calling our rigorous restaurant industry research "not credible" the NRA has put out "alerts" like the one above to scare their members.

On April 14th ROC led a Restaurant Worker Lobby Day simultaneous to the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Public Affairs Conference and Lobby visits. NRA claims to represent all 13 million restaurant workers in America, yet they oppose an increase to the minimum wage and paid sick days for workers.

ROC DC and ROC NY members visited 11 Members of Congress-telling their personal stories about the need for a raise in increased tipped-minimum wage and paid sick days. Despite the massive influx of cash from the NRA after our visit Representatives Henry Waxman and Eleanor Holmes Norton signed on as co-sponsors to the WAGES Act. The WAGES Act was introduced by Donna Edwards of Maryland and would increase the archaic $2.13/hour tipped minimum wage to 70% of the regular minimum wage.

Testimony from ROC Miami Member Jeremy Negron on the need for Paid Sick Days

2010-04-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

I work as a cook. I hear public health officials say people should stay home if they have flu-like symptoms. They don’t understand that for many of us, this is not possible because we can’t afford to lose any pay.

At one place I worked, I found out later we were supposed to have paid sick days, but it was always a mystery how to get them. They didn’t have any kind of training other than about the work you did.
There were times when I was really too sick to go in. Once I had food poisoning, another time I had flu-like symptoms. But I had no choice but to go in to work. If I called in sick, they wouldn’t pay
me. They wouldn’t say, bring in a note from a doctor or anything like that.

One day I had food poisoning from eating at another place. Every time I looked at chicken or any other food, I would throw up. I couldn’t do my job. The owner said, ‘If you go home, you’re not
going to get paid for the day.” I had no choice but to stay.

The pay means a lot to me. I depend on every day, every hour – it all counts. That’s how I live, day by day. The paycheck comes in and goes out. Every penny goes somewhere. I have a fiance, a daughter and another child on the way. I have no choice but to deal with it most of the time if I am sick.

I’ve seen people come in with the flu and pretty bad coughing and sneezing. It really wasn’t safe for them to work around the food. But they needed the pay. When that happens, it’s really unsafe – the
whole restaurant gets sick. It takes three weeks for it to clear up and then something new comes along.

At the last place I worked, you’d try to get someone to cover your shift. But we were understaffed. It was really hard to get someone to work for you. I feel bad for co-workers who don’t have sick days
or don’t know how to get them. Many are not from this country. I know I didn’t want to get in any trouble or be penalized in my hours.

In many restaurants, I found people being treated unfairly on the job. Sometimes it’s paying below minimum wage, or getting people to do work at a lower pay rate than the job calls for. Sometimes it’s not allowing people to stay home when they’re sick.

There have been times I needed to help with my daughter but I can’t afford to miss any days. To lose a day of work is really hard for me. If we were granted pay at work for those days we are sick and there were a way for us to be secure that we would not lose our jobs, telling people to stay home with the flu would work. But if they say stay home and there aren’t paid sick days, you can’t afford to lose a day at work unless your symptoms just don’t allow you to go in. Most times, you just have to suck it up.

I know it’s not safe for the public for us to come in with the flu. We need Congress to pass paid sick days, so that everyone can earn the right to be well and keep others well.

ROC joins CIW for the Farmworker Freedom March

2010-04-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend CIW had its Farmworker Freedom march and what a march it was! We joined in with groups and activists from around the nation coming together in solidarity. We marched to end poverty and improve wages and conditions for farmworkers in Florida.

We marched seeking the social change required to reach justice. This weekend 1,000+ strong lined the streets of Tampa to say, "people of Immokalee, you are not alone!" and "when workers are under attack what do we do? Stand up Fight back!"

Our fight is one in the same. This weekend was just a little taste of how the Food Chain Workers' Alliance can unite those in the Food Chain. I look forward to taking part and observing this movement grow.

Cheers!

Chi-ROC

ROC United Holds Congressional Briefing

2010-03-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

On Mar. 22, Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards author of the WAGES Act lead a Congressional briefing on the findings and recommended policy solutions. Over 50 restaurant workers, Congressional staff and allies heard testimony from Lanysha Adams, ROC Research Director, Annette Bernhardt, Co-Author of the National Employment Law Project’s “Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers” Report. Jen Kern, from the National Employment Law Project, William Greene, member of ROC DC, Rachna Choudhry, from the National Partnership for Women & Families, Thomas Marr, Owner of Pete's New Haven Style Apizza a high-road restaurant in Washington, DC.

Department of Labor Going After Law-Breaking Restaurants in Utah!

2010-02-26T08:49:00.001-08:00

The Department of Labor has been going after the bad-actors in the industry... in Utah! This according to a press release sent out by the DOL in February. Utah is one of 10 states that has the same tipped minimum wage as the federal -- $2.13/hour. The sad reality is that when bad actors in the industry feel like they can get away with not paying the minimum wage, or not paying workers at all, they not only are breaking the law, they are causing real damage to working families.

So-called "representatives" of the restaurant industry, like the NRA, claim that government madates are bad for business. Well there wouldn't be a need for mandates at all if these bad actors cleaned up their act and started paying their workers livable wages and providing them with benefits. The ball is in your court!

Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans and Portland, ME Hold Restaurant Industry Summits, Receive Major Media Attention

2010-02-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

Photo: Riley Hendersen

ROCs in Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans and Portland held Summits to unveil studies about working conditions in the restaurant industry in those four cities as part of a coordinated effort to raise awareness to the plight of restaurant workers. ROC United compiled all the data from the four local reports and the original New York City report to produce a National Executive Summary that was covered by the Washington Post, Labor Notes and In These Times.

The Restaurant Industry Summits were smashing successes in every city where they were held. Below is a brief summary of each one:

Chicago:

Over 100 people were in attendance at this high-energy event that took place at Junior's Sports Lounge, one of the members of the Restaurant Industry Coalition. The event also received significant coverage in the local media, with articles appearing in Chicago Public Radio, Medill Reports, True/Slant and Progress Illinois.

Detroit:

Nearly 200 people packed into Slows Bar BQ one of Detroit's high-road restaurants to discuss the findings of the Behind the Kitchen Door Report. The event was covered by a number of media sources including the Detroit Free Press, Crain's Detroit, Michigan Public Radio the news was also picked up by the Michigan AP Wire.

Portland, ME:

Dozens of people were in attendance at the Maine Restaurant Industry Summit that took place at The Snow Squall. The Summit was the news of the day in Portland, getting coverage in several sources including the NBC affiliate, Portland Press Herald and Maine Public Radio.

New Orleans:

Despite the historic win by the New Orleans Saints and the celebration parade taking place on the same day, there were nearly 50 people in attendance to discuss the findings of the study.

Restaurant Industry Thriving in Face of Recession

2010-02-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

ROC Publishes Studies in five U.S. regions point to national trends in growing restaurant industry

Today, a new series of reports shows that the U.S. restaurant industry is resilient despite the bad economy and continues to offer job opportunities as the nation’s largest private sector employer. At the same time, the reports explore the pervasiveness of “low road” restaurant jobs – characterized by low wages, hazardous working conditions, long hours and few benefits – that result in a drag on economic growth and threats to public health. An executive summary – based on studies in Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, New York and Maine – recommends increasing the federal tipped minimum wage and providing paid sick days to improve working conditions and make the restaurant industry an even stronger driver for the U.S. economy.

“While some restaurants are making a profit offering living wages and health benefits, most restaurant employers take the low road, which leads to dangerous working conditions that put customers’ health at risk and jeopardize the industry’s long-term growth,” said Jose Oliva, Policy Coordinator for ROC United.

The following are key findings from the series of reports, Behind the Kitchen Door:

Nationwide, and in each of the five regions studied, the restaurant industry is vibrant, resilient, and growing, despite the recession.

With nearly 13 million workers nationwide, the restaurant industry is America’s largest private employer.

Many restaurant employers in each of the five regions examined appear to be taking the low road, creating a predominantly low-wage industry in every region and around the country in which violations of employment and health and safety laws are commonplace.

More than 90% of restaurant workers surveyed reported that they do not have health insurance through their employers.

In all five regions studied, it is largely workers of color who are concentrated in the industry’s “bad jobs,” while white workers tend to disproportionately hold the few “good jobs.”

Restaurant employers who take the high road are the source of the best jobs in the industry. High road employers provide living wages, access to health benefits, and advancement in the industry. Slows Bar B Q, a socially responsible and sustainable restaurant in Detroit, offers employees affordable health care, pays a living wage and promotes a clear path to career development – resulting in dozens of local jobs in the economy and exceeding sales expectations, making close to $4 million in the company’s fourth year.

“Taking the high road with our employees pays off for our business, in higher loyalty, lower turnover and better customer service,” said Phil Cooley, owner of Slows Bar BQ. “With continuing growth in our industry, even during a bad economy, every restaurant can and should invest in our workers.”

Restaurants throughout the country have been faced the choice between the high and low roads to profitability for years. Many have struggled to train and retain a work force while paying only federal restaurant minimum wage, a meager $2.13 per hour before tips. With tips, the national median wage at restaurants is only $8.59 per hour or $12,868 per year.

To view the reports visit the ROC United webiste.

A Workforce of 13 Million Deserves a Voice!

2010-01-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

CHI-ROC puts on the Gloves

2010-01-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

News from the capital of the Mid-West, Chicago.

"To negotiate or to stall, that is the question"

Owner of Ole Ole claims to be working with CHI-ROC, yet won't come out to speak.

First, I'd like to begin with a brief little history of Ole Ole and why we chose to pursue this campaign. Ole Ole is a small restaurant with about 11 workers, back in December we were approached by workers who had reported wage violations. After meeting we realized this was a Fine Dinning establishment, in the very progressive Andersonville neighborhood, with the possibility to impact the entire Chicago restaurant industry. For the next two weeks CHI-ROC was able to organize more workers and decided to pursue the campaign.

Now it's time to get you up to speed on the Workplace Justice Campaign that CHI-ROC began back in December.

Dec. 11th: CHI-ROC and Supporters Drop off demand letter (video soon to come!)

Dec. 15th: Ole Ole retaliated to one of the workers by dropping his shifts from 6 to 1

Dec. 16th: CHI-ROC responded by handing out fliers in Andersonville area and in front of Ole Ole. We were greeted, very quickly, by the owner and Chicago Police.

Dec. 18th: ROC filed retaliation charges with the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) and scheduled first protest, but Ole Ole's owner called 1 hour prior to deadline for negotiations.

Dec. 21st: Both parties meet and agree to set negotiation dates with attorneys present.

Dec. 23: Ole Ole owner admits to owing at least 80,000 dollars to 4 workers

Jan 4th: Due to lack of response, CHI-ROC sends letter to Ole Ole to sit down and negotiate

Jan 5th: Still no call, CHI-ROC responds by setting up Jan 6th deadline and if not met, a Protest would ensue.

Jan 6th: After missing the 3:30pm deadline, CHI-ROC organizes membership and fellow organizations for the 7:30pm protest. One hour prior to protest, Ole Ole Owner sends text! She was about to sign a retainer with a labor lawyer and had responded to the NLRB. Because of the progress we decided to proceed amicably. Members marched over to Ole Ole to inform the Owner that we would not protest, but did want to warn future missed deadlines would have consequences. To all of our amazement the owner would not come out- Protest followed.

We will continue with weekly actions until a we reach a solution.

Chicago Launches Workplace Justice Campaign -- Begins Negotiations!

2009-12-23T09:28:00.001-08:00

In one fell swoop, Chi ROC launched a workplace justice campaign against local restaurant Ole Ole and the next week, just one hour before the deadline, the employer called to negotiate an agreement to pay workers the unpaid wages they are owed. After the demand letter delivery and subsequent action received some attention in the blogoshpere we were confident the owner would want to settle this matter. This is a major victory for Chicago restaurant workers, but the fight's not done. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be vigilant to ensure the owner is negotiating in good faith and that workers are in fact going to receive the money that is owed to them.

Thank you everyone for your support online and in person, your presence and perseverance is what has made this victory possible!

NOLA Campaign Update: Historic Prayer Vigil on Bourbon Street, like, wow!

2009-11-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

So...unfortunately I missed last night's historic prayer vigil on Bourbon Street, but from what I understand it was a HUGE success, so I thought I would let you all know how fantastic it went, share with you all our victories as this campaign continues to move forward! Darrin can probably fill in this account with more details since he coordinated everything last night, but it was upwards of 50 people ultimately that came out for the vigil, including 3 ministers from the faith community. Apparently it was so successful that it could not be shut down after the first hour, and ended up continuing for a second hour, and when ROC started to walk away and end the action, people from Bourbon Street actually began following everyone back to Canal Street - I guess they didn't want it to end!

Having the faith community leaders come out and lead a prayer vigil and sing songs that harken back to the Civil Rights Movement, and to do it all for this campaign and on Bourbon Street - known for drunkenness, partying, and moral looseness - well, to say the least, again it was definitely historic and will likely be remembered by everyone who was there for a very long time to come. We are hoping to put some video footage together to post up on youtube with some of our other footage as soon as we have something edited down to post.

As a member of our Advisory Committee shared her experience of it last night, you could almost feel it in the air, the start of something entirely new, this city is going to be completely changed when we win this campaign. I would say it's even already changing! So, there's my share even though it is all via people who were actually there for the vigil, since I was sick in bed with a fever. :( But it was just one of many historic moments so far since our campaign began, and I just wanted you all to know that I feel we are all a part of this history-making, one ROC and one campaign across this country at a time. GO ROC NATION!!!!

New Orleans Organizing for Better Jobs in the Restaurant Industry

2009-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

Background of Campaign
We first heard stories about Tony Moran’s Restaurant this spring, as we received complaints from many former employees who worked banquets for the restaurant during the Mardi Gras season that had not been paid. Upon further investigation, we realized that this restaurant has developed an elaborate system for not paying their workers, although they will pay them just enough so that oftentimes workers will continue there in the hopes that at some point they will be paid. One common practice is that when all workers arrive for their shift, they are not allowed to clock in for usually 1-2 hours after their shift begins. During this time they are prepping for service, having staff meetings, etc. but it is expected that they will not be paid for this time that they work. Management also takes a standard 20% off the top of all the tips the tipped workers earn each pay period that has never been accounted for. Additionally, workers of color in particular have noted that they are forced to work on the upper floors of the restaurant quite regularly, even though their schedule might have them listed on the first floor. There seems to be a significant difference in the amount of clients and therefore money to be made as a server between the first and upper floors. This form of segregation of the wait staff is another demand workers in this campaign want addressed. Overall, complaints of a hostile working environment, being fired or otherwise retaliated against for asking about these irregularities, and not getting paid for all hours worked have led us to where we are today.

Campaign Begins!
Our campaign against Tony Moran’s Restaurant officially began on Tuesday, October 13th, with the delivery of our demand letter by six workers citing nonpayment of wages and discriminatory practices at the restaurant. There is video footage of that letter delivery to the restaurant here. When the letter was delivered, the management was informed that they would have ten days to respond to our request to sit down to a meeting to discuss these allegations. We did not hear from them, so on Friday evening, October 23rd, we had our first protest in front of the restaurant. We were blessed to have almost 50 people come out in support of the workers for this campaign! Now we are continuing our actions every week until the owner agrees to discuss our demands. We are also filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of the workers in the coming weeks.

ROC-NOLA is committed to not only addressing these very real issues of wage theft, but also to changing workplace conditions for all restaurant workers. We hope that this campaign send a loud message to the owners of Tony Moran's and to other owners who would cheat their workers, so that we can begin to see real change and better opportunities for all restaurant workers in all establishments throughout the city.

What You Can Do To Help
First, call the restaurant and demand that they change their practices, and pay what is owed to former and current workers alike! Also, if you could send letters to the owner, particularly if you are coming to New Orleans with a large group of people, specifically stating that you and your group will not dine at this establishment until they change their ways. Lastly, please help us by spreading the word to everyone you know, as the more people who are aware of these abuses and will no longer support them with their dining dollars, the more quickly we will win this campaign and take a huge step forward in protecting the rights of restaurant workers at Tony Moran’s and our city’s other restaurants!

For more information about us and other important work we are doing to change the industry, please check out our website or on Facebook via our group page, ROC-NOLA. If you are interested in helping support future coordinated actions in this campaign, such as the ones described above, please contact us at rocnola@gmail.com and we will email you when we have upcoming actions where your support will go a long way.

Thank you from ROC-NOLA!

ROC United Holds Congressional Briefing on Tipped Minimum Wage

2009-10-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Over 30 people were in attendance at an October 7th Congressional Briefing to discuss the anitquated tipped minimum wage. The message was loud and clear: we need an increase to the tipped minimum wage. Phillip Cooley owner of the restaurant Slow’s Bar B Q in Detroit said it best on the panel: “We believe that if workers are treated well and paid well, they in turn will treat consumers well, which combined with a good product translates into an overall profitable, sustainable business. The real bottom line is that we all do better, when we all do better!”
Congressional staffers left the briefing with full knowledge that injustice perpetuated by the tipped credit in our industry is not just affecting young college or high school students who are working a restaurant job for extra cash. But in fact like Gregory Edmonds, a ROC Chicago member on the panel said “family people are the workers, patrons and supervisors in the industry”. Gregory’s kids depend on his wages as do the families of many, many other workers in the restaurant industry. And as both Katye Allen a ROC Maine member and Saru Jayaraman, ROC United Co-Founder pointed out “restaurant jobs have replaced the good-paying manufacturing jobs” in many parts of our country. So if we want prosperity, we must improve the jobs in the industry.

Now we have to follow up with the Congresspeople who sent staff to the briefing and get them to sign on as co-sponsors to the WAGES Act. Currently we have 31 cosponsors, our goal is to hit 50 before the end of the year. Congresswoman Donna Edwards the author of the WAGES Act congratulated Paul Sonn of the National Employment Law Project, for his presentation and recent report on the tipped minimum wage, co-authored with Raj Nayak. The Congresswoman was present at the briefing, even though she was technically managing the floor of the House of Representatives at the moment, demonstrating a deep commitment to tipped workers and the WAGES Act.

After the briefing a delegation consisting of ROC members Gregory Edmonds, Katye Allen and staff visited the offices of Congressmen Mike Michaud and Bill Foster. Both offices were receptive but with many questions about the impact of an increase to the minimum wage on small business and of the nature of restaurant jobs. With a tremendous amount of skill Gregory and Katye answered those questions and pushed the Congressmen towards co-sponsoring the WAGES Act. As with the attendees of the briefing, now the work is to follow up with them and make sure they in fact sign on as co-sponsors.