DemLabs blog

Restaurant worker deserve ONE FAIR WAGE

Many restaurant workers earn just $2.13/hour! Is it any surprise that thousands are quitting?

How does this legacy of slavery survive? How do restaurant owners lobby to underpay their workers while making gazillions? Which states pay restaurant workers the least? What is a 'tip credit' and how is it used to exploit workers? How much does the National Restaurant Association spend to lobby to underpay workers?

What's an issue that affects millions and energizes them to vote in the midterms? ONE FAIR WAGE is pushing for ballot measures across the country to pay restaurant and other gig workers fairly. Follow along with this StoryMap and see how you support the fight for fair wages.

Use ballot measures to demand fair wages for restaurant workers.
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End this modern day slavery

Over six million tipped workers cope with abuse and sexual harassment for tips to supplement their sub-minimum wage. The majority are Black women. They can't even get unemployment because their wages are too low. Support ballot measures to end this modern day slavery.

13 million Americans work in the restaurant industry. Many earn less than the federal minimum wage because employers deduct a 'tip credit'. Their cash wages end up being $2.13 in many states. Workers in only seven states - Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington get the full minimum wage.

Tipped workers are often abused, sexually harassed and worse by customers. They have to deal with this in order to earn tips needed to survive. 53% of restaurant workers surveyed are considering leaving the industry. 70% of whom are citing low wages and tips as their primary reason for leaving. -  OFW

One Fair Wage

One Fair Wage  (OFW) works nationally to end all subminimum wages. It includes dozens of organizations, over 300,000 service workers and 2,000 restaurant employers. One Fair Wage policy would require all employers to pay the full minimum wage with fair, non-discriminatory tips on top lifting millions workers out of poverty.

The Raise the Wage Act would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hr and abolish the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. This bill is particularly important to restaurant workers because nationwide people in our sector are paid as little as $2.13.  We must protect and lift up the most marginalized in the restaurant sector and ensure that tipped workers are not left behind.  

Restaurant owners rig the system to exploit workers

"The National Restaurant Association, which has a history of fighting against fair wages since it was  formed by white restaurant owners in 1919. The sub-minimum wage has led to a massive race and gender wage gap across the industry: nationwide, Black women working for tips in restaurants  make $4.79 an hour less  than their white male counterparts. -  The Guardian

National Restaurant association spends millions to underpay workers.
Source: Open Secrets

TakeAway: Support One Fair Wage ballot measures to end slave-era practices that restaurant owners use to exploit workers.

Deepak
DemLabs

DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.

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Restaurant workers are quitting to protest the sub-minimum wages they get and the harassment they face.

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DemLabs applies innovative technology and storytelling tools in service of democratic values. It lowers the barrier of funding for worthy candidates and non-profits by applying existing free/affordable solutions.