
Mar 02, 2013
The nation's biggest industry is fostering a low-wage, low-benefit workplace, charges restaurant worker advocate Saru Jayaraman.
Co-founder and co-executive director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United and author of the bestselling Behind The Kitchen Door Jayaraman appeared on Up with Chris Hayes on Saturday and brought to light some of conditions that leave food industry workers forced to work sick and rely on food stamps.
Jayaraman said, "You've got the largest industry in America basically proliferating the lowest paying jobs with the least benefits," and added that "it also is the industry with the least amount of paid sick days, so the workers in this industry don't have a way to get paid when they're sick, which means two-thirds of them report cooking, preparing and serving food when they're ill."
Urging the need for some guaranteed minimum wage to provide a livable standard, Jayaraman remarked: "Right now, food service workers use food stamps at double the rate of the rest of the U.S. workforce and suffer poverty rate of three times the rest of the workforce."
The minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13, a rate, Jayaraman noted, that has been at this level for 22 years.
Jayaraman was joined on the panel with chef Tom Colicchio, Andrew Moesel, spokesperson for the New York State Restaurant Association, and Victoria Bruton, restaurant worker and member of Restaurant Opportunities Centers.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
What can the average diner do about the working conditions of the people who brought them their food? Jayaraman said in a recent appearance on Moyers & Company, "If consumers asked, every time they ate out, or said to the management, 'Love the food, love the service, I would love to see you provide paid sick days, as a consumer that's important to me,' or 'I would love to see you do better on your wages, not pay $2.13,' just before leaving, we feel like that could make a tremendous difference in moving the industry."
________________________________
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The nation's biggest industry is fostering a low-wage, low-benefit workplace, charges restaurant worker advocate Saru Jayaraman.
Co-founder and co-executive director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United and author of the bestselling Behind The Kitchen Door Jayaraman appeared on Up with Chris Hayes on Saturday and brought to light some of conditions that leave food industry workers forced to work sick and rely on food stamps.
Jayaraman said, "You've got the largest industry in America basically proliferating the lowest paying jobs with the least benefits," and added that "it also is the industry with the least amount of paid sick days, so the workers in this industry don't have a way to get paid when they're sick, which means two-thirds of them report cooking, preparing and serving food when they're ill."
Urging the need for some guaranteed minimum wage to provide a livable standard, Jayaraman remarked: "Right now, food service workers use food stamps at double the rate of the rest of the U.S. workforce and suffer poverty rate of three times the rest of the workforce."
The minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13, a rate, Jayaraman noted, that has been at this level for 22 years.
Jayaraman was joined on the panel with chef Tom Colicchio, Andrew Moesel, spokesperson for the New York State Restaurant Association, and Victoria Bruton, restaurant worker and member of Restaurant Opportunities Centers.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
What can the average diner do about the working conditions of the people who brought them their food? Jayaraman said in a recent appearance on Moyers & Company, "If consumers asked, every time they ate out, or said to the management, 'Love the food, love the service, I would love to see you provide paid sick days, as a consumer that's important to me,' or 'I would love to see you do better on your wages, not pay $2.13,' just before leaving, we feel like that could make a tremendous difference in moving the industry."
________________________________
The nation's biggest industry is fostering a low-wage, low-benefit workplace, charges restaurant worker advocate Saru Jayaraman.
Co-founder and co-executive director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United and author of the bestselling Behind The Kitchen Door Jayaraman appeared on Up with Chris Hayes on Saturday and brought to light some of conditions that leave food industry workers forced to work sick and rely on food stamps.
Jayaraman said, "You've got the largest industry in America basically proliferating the lowest paying jobs with the least benefits," and added that "it also is the industry with the least amount of paid sick days, so the workers in this industry don't have a way to get paid when they're sick, which means two-thirds of them report cooking, preparing and serving food when they're ill."
Urging the need for some guaranteed minimum wage to provide a livable standard, Jayaraman remarked: "Right now, food service workers use food stamps at double the rate of the rest of the U.S. workforce and suffer poverty rate of three times the rest of the workforce."
The minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13, a rate, Jayaraman noted, that has been at this level for 22 years.
Jayaraman was joined on the panel with chef Tom Colicchio, Andrew Moesel, spokesperson for the New York State Restaurant Association, and Victoria Bruton, restaurant worker and member of Restaurant Opportunities Centers.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
What can the average diner do about the working conditions of the people who brought them their food? Jayaraman said in a recent appearance on Moyers & Company, "If consumers asked, every time they ate out, or said to the management, 'Love the food, love the service, I would love to see you provide paid sick days, as a consumer that's important to me,' or 'I would love to see you do better on your wages, not pay $2.13,' just before leaving, we feel like that could make a tremendous difference in moving the industry."
________________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.