CA Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to End National Restaurant Association’s Use of Worker Funds to Lobby Against Their Wage Increases
On Valentine’s Day, Highest Grossing Day in the Restaurant Industry, Workers Will be Holding Actions in 6 States Outside NRA Offices and Leading Corporate Chain Restaurants, and Rally in CA for Bill to Stop Deceptive Taking of Worker Funds
On Tuesday, February 14th, restaurant and other food service workers across the United States are holding “Love Your Server” rallies for Valentine’s Day – the highest-grossing day in the restaurant industry – protesting against the National Restaurant Association and the corporate chains that lead the trade lobby for using payments from workers who were required to take food safety training and then using those funds to lobby against wage increases for workers.
Actions and rallies in Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Maryland, and Puerto Rico will take place outside National Restaurant Association headquarters, Applebee’s restaurants (Applebee’s parent company, Dine Brands, is a major contributor to the National Restaurant Association), or other restaurant locations. The actions are being organized by local restaurant workers in conjunction with One Fair Wage, a national nonprofit that advocates for restaurant workers earning subminimum wages, along with Our Revolution and other partner organizations.
In California, One Fair Wage (OFW) will be joined by allies across the labor movement including California Labor Federation, Unite HERE, UFCW, SEIU California, and fast food workers in the Fight for $15 and a Union to rally to support legislation being introduced by CA Senator Monique Limon to address the issue. Sen. Limon will announce her proposed legislation to change the law that currently requires workers to pay for mandatory food safety training, so that employers must pay for the training and the workers’ time for completing the training.
WHEN, WHERE, WHO
CA: 9:15 AM PT; CA State Capitol Building; Sen. Monique Limon, OFW, California Labor Federation, SEIU California, Unite HERE, UFCW, Fight for $15 and a Union worker leaders, and others
MI: 12:00 PM ET; MI Restaurant Association HQ, 221 Townsend St, Lansing, MI 48933; OFW, Our Revolution
CO: 11:00 AM MT; National Restaurant Association Colorado HQ; 430 E 7th Ave, Denver, CO; OFW, Our Revolution
IL: 11:00 AM CT; National Restaurant Association Illinois HQ, 33 W. Monroe, Chicago IL; OFW, Our Revolution
NY: 12:00PM ET; 401 W. 52nd Street; OFW, Our Revolution
MD: 12:00 PM ET; 5231 Campbell Blvd, Nottingham, MD 21236; OFW, Our Revolution
PR: 12:00 PM ET; Puerto Rico Restaurant Association Offices, Caparra Shopping Center, Ave. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Guaynabo, PR; Justicia Salarial/One Fair Wage
One Fair Wage has called for elected officials around the country to commit not to take contributions from the National Restaurant Association, given that they were fraudulently taken from workers. They are also calling on elected officials to donate any funds previously taken from the National Restaurant Associations to workers and their organizations.
SEE THE PLEDGE HERE: https://www.ofwaction.com/pledge
Additionally, One Fair Wage is urging elected officials to: (1) pass legislation to raise the minimum wage and phasing out subminimum wages for workers; (2) pass laws repealing mandatory worker food handler training that workers must pay for; and (3) encourage investigations by state attorneys general, Congressmembers and the IRS into whether the National Restaurant Association violated various state and federal laws the deception and misuse of funds.
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